Sakura's New Past
by MarzSpy
Summary: After the Haruno Massacre Sakura was supposed to be kept a secret but changed more than expected to when she traveled to the past to stop the Uchiha Massacre. Things that shouldn't be happening are, and through it all, she falls in love. Not good. itaxsak
1. To the Past!

Sakura (present)

Age: 18

Powers: Inhuman strength – best medical ninja (even ahead of Tsunade)

Sakura (past)

Age: 12

Powers: Same as always

Itachi (present)

Age: 24

Itachi (past)

Age: 13

Kakashi (past)

Age: 16

**Chapter 1: To the Past**

"Tsunade-shishou I have recovered the scroll you wanted me to get from the old shrine outside of the Fire country" was the first thing Tsunade heard, gazing at some random paperwork with a bottle of sake in her hand. Truth be told, this time around, it didn't scare her how Sakura made her random appearances, not even being able to sense her anymore. Earlier times though, Tsunade had thrown sake bottles at Sakura, not knowing it was her, but thinking maybe it was an intruder, or at best, Naruto playing a prank on her. Nevertheless, she was getting side-tracked now...

"Still, I wonder Tsunade-shishou..." Sakura paused slightly, placing the scroll in front of Tsunade, on her desk, and then backed away some, lingering by the window. "What was so important about this mission that made you call me back from my original mission with Neji-san and Kiba-kun?" Sakura pondered out loud. No, she wasn't interrogating Tsunade or anything; it was a genuine question. She had been going on an A-Ranked mission with them, as their medic of course, and all of a sudden to be called back, _while in the middle of the mission especially,_only to be replaced by a lesser medic; this was, at least to her, down right preposterous.

"Well Sakura as you may know, you are the one I trust most on the very important missions, and this mission is far too risky to let anyone else discover." Tsunade said calmly.

Sakura was befuddled. It _was _just a scroll. "Well what does this scroll do then, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked curiously. Surely, if she had to be taken out of a mission just to find a scroll (which, in her opinion, should have been C-Ranked at most, but was classified as A-Ranked), it must be pretty important, or at the most, something they didn't want to let Akatsuki or Orochimaru have.

"Well Sakura, I have realized that Akatsuki is getting stronger and stronger day by day."

Okay, key point. Maybe Sakura was right... maybe this scroll contained information they didn't want anyone getting their hands on. Or maybe, just maybe, it contained an uber cool jutsu that would help defeat Akatsuki. (In that case though, Sakura would have to slip in a few extra sake bottles to Tsunade to let her be the first to try it out)

"and one of the main reasons for the cause is because Itachi is one of the most powerful missing nin there."

Okay, a little more confusion than before. So this scroll specified for... Itachi Uchiha?

"This scroll is a very special scroll that can take people into the past." Tsunade paused slightly, to take in Sakura's reaction. Sakura parted her lips to speak, but Tsunade cut her off. "Yes, Sakura, I am indeed sober, this is only my first bottle of the day." she glared slightly at her apprentice. It was hard to think one of the people she respected and cared for most in the world (she was like a daughter to her) would indeed think her clumsy enough to be drunk when it was barely noon. Two hours from now though, was a different story...

"I have come up with an idea. We must, at all costs, make sure that Itachi does not make the same mistake he took when he was thirteen. And, if by any chance, he still chooses to take the same path, he must be eliminated."

"You're telling me... we have to stop Itachi from killing his clan..." Sakura said slowly, almost as if not understanding what Tsunade was saying.

"Yes" she nodded solemnly.

Tsunade made it sound so casual, it almost sent shivers down her spine, Sure, she was an ANBU, but she wasn't an emotionless one like Neji or Sai. Truth be told, if it weren't for her relation to Tsunade, and her incredible medical skills and inhuman strength, she probably wouldn't have made it in ANBU Black Ops... She was too emotional for them, but Sakura didn't let that stop her.

"Are you mad Tsunade-shishou? I mean, I know defeating Itachi Uchiha while he is thirteen gives us a higher chance of defeating him... but... he's in _ANBU _even at that time." Sakura frowned in dismay. "And onto other matters, why, for Kami's sake, are you telling _me _this?" Sakura frowned. Deep down inside, she had a gut feeling she wouldn't like this one bit...

"The reason I sent you is because I trust no one else more than you to recover such an important scroll, and I plan to take _you _to the past Sakura, for I know you will obey my orders." Again, Tsunade sounded so, so calm, it almost scared her. Hey, she wasn't one to back down from a mission, let alone a challenge but... She crinkled her nose.

_'This is... Uchiha Itachi we're talking about...' _She couldn't help but frown in dismay.

"Not to mention, you have mastered you Kekkai Genkai. Think about it... it's even _stronger _than the Sharingan, which would surely give you an advantage, if you had to kill Itachi," Tsunade said in an optimistic voice.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "You're nuts. You're officially nuts." Sakura chuckled incredulously.

"Sakura, trust me... you're the _only one_ who could possibly even come remotely close to completing the mission."

"Why not send Naruto or something? He's by far, stronger than anyone I've ever seen, and not to mention keeping him in the past would keep him safe from Akatsuki." Sakura noted, seeing ah how that _would _be an advantage.

"Naruto's a dimwit" she stated, rolling her eyes. "With his loud mouth, he'll probably ruin his cover. Not to mention, six, twelve, _or _eighteen, everyone would easily be able to tell he was the Jinchuuriki, which only means trouble." Tsunade stated. "You on the other hand, would slip right in."

"Oh yes, because _no one_notices a girl with pink hair and green eyes." Sakura muttered, rolling her eyes.

"You know that after the Massacre all records of you were erased Sakura." Tsunade stated, flinching slightly when Sakura looked away, a pout on her face. "Only clans such as the Uchiha and Hyuga had any clue of what the Haruno Clan was able to do. Fortunately, the Uchiha Clan was taken out, and the Hyuga is devoted to Konoha, so would never let that information slip. Besides, only the Hiashi and the Clan Elders know anything about it." Tsunade sighed. "To the people in the past, even though the massacre had probably occured only a few month after you arrive, you would be nothing but a young girl with peculiar hair, who happens to be super strong, and have capabilities as strong as an ANBU... They after all, knew nothing of the Haruno Clan, and knew nothing of appearances that were common."

It sounded incredulous, but hell, Itachi, the Uchiha heir, had done it, so why not Sakura, a Haruno heir? (Even though technically, they'd be mission out on that information, considering no one knew she was an heir, after all)

Sakura knew Tsunade had a good point, so she moved on to another problem on her mind. "Won't I be needed here though? I mean, surely, my medical skills and everything." Sakura was slightly upset about the fact that it seemed she wouldn't be needed, even at times like these, but hid it as best she could.

"Of course you will be _needed_, but this mission is far too important for any mere ninja. And besides Sakura, you have a special power; you can bring anyone happiness with your kind, warming, and loving smile. I am trying to get Itachi alive, so he can be of use to the village, and if it possible, maybe even have him marry a power clan to strengthen Konoha to protect Naruto and Gaara from Akatsuki. Of course, the most powerful clans that were and still are in this village are the Hyuugas', Uchihas' and of course the Haruno's." Tsunade said with a sigh. "Unfortunately, _you _are the last Haruno, and if we don't do anything, the Uchiha Clan will all but be extinct, no thanks to the Uchiha" Tsunade said it distaste.

"That is also why I want you to go, you being one of the most powerful and trustworthy kunoichi out here, I am sure you can succeed."Tsunade commented, earning a smile from Sakura. "The only thing that worries me though, is that this whole time-traveling mumbo-jumbo requires a big sacrifice. So you must be prepared for there is a goddess sealed in this scroll that will tell you a sacrifice that is equal to what you are asking for." Tsunade finally finished.

"I understand Tsunade-shishou; I will obey at all costs." Sakura agreed after a long moment of silence, where she had been debating whether or not she should give in and accept Tsunade's crazy plan. "But... I have some questions: what age will I turn back into, and will I still have my powers?"

"Your age will be turned into 12, just one year younger than Itachi; your regular teammates will be around the age of six and seven. As for your powers, they will be the same as your powers are now." Tsunade answered her questions.

"Also, before I forget, you are allowed to tell no one about this except for the Hokage in that time. I am sending with you, a letter back in the past explaining our situation and that are, by no means, an enemy to the Leaf. You two will be the only ones to know about it, understood?" Tsunade said, her voice as calm as ever.

"Hai, I understand" Sakura nodded.

"By the way, there is a chance you may, or may not be able to come back to the regular time." Tsunade added in slyly, trying to slip that comment in wthout her noticing.

...

...

**"What?" **Sakura seethed. "You're telling me you planned to send me, you're best student, to the past, not knowing whether or not I would come back?" Sakura shouted, glaring at Tsunade.

Tsunade looked to the left slyly, taking a swig of her sake, avoiding her glare. "You have to understand you are the first person to ever go back in time that anyone knows of." Tsunade began. "Frankly, all of this is relatively new, so I can't exactly say what will happen once you activate the jutsu." Tsunade explained.

Sakura began thinking bitterly.

Save Naruto and Konoha, and never come back

Or decide not to take it and possibly see Naruto get kidnapped, along with Konoha crumbling to ruins, but being there to witness the horrendous event...

Sakura didn't really have a choice now, did she?

"What will I have to give in exchange, then?" Sakura said bitterly, finally making her mind up: She _had _to do this. Things weren't as good as she hoped they would be, what with Naruto being one of the last remaining Jinchuuriki to capture (besides Gaara and an unknown eight-tails).

"I can't really say for sure. Again, this time-travel stuff is relatively new stuff no one has really studied on, so the effects and sacrifices could be anything. I doubt it'll be anything like a soul, arm, leg, etc. though." Tsunade explained.

"Oh I see." Sakura said understandingly.

"Okay then, I guess everything is finally settled. When you are ready I will send you back to the past. Take in notice this will drain all of your chakra and leave you with barely any. I wish you the best luck, and as to where exactly you will arrive, we have no clue, but it will not be as far as a 3 mile radius from Konoha."

"I understand Tsunade-sama please wish me the best of luck." said Sakura with full determination in her eyes. Now that she knew there was no turning back, she might as well have more faith in herself. After all, Gaara, Naruto, and all of Konoha were now, in a way, depending on her.

A few minutes later, Tsunade did a few hand signs and a light glow started to envelop Sakura until she was gone.

Sakura felt herself getting very dizzy at the rapid loss of chakra she was losing in such a fast amount of time. It then got so hard she passed out.

Meanwhile, Tsunade frowned as Sakura began glowing a light blue, and then slowly disappeared. _'I'm sorry Sakura... but it's really the only way...'_

If she could, she would send someone else less precious to her... but no, Sakura was the only one right for the job...

* * *

Sakura awoke in a place that was all white with a woman standing in the middle just staring at her.

"So you must be the goddess who is sealed within the scroll." Sakura acknowledged warily, as she took in the state of the place, and noticed she couldn't be anything _but_.

"Yes, I am." she acknowledged. "As for discussing what you're sacrifice will be..." she began. Sakura just sat down, legs crossed, ashs he watched the supposed 'Goddess' walk aimlessly around what seemed to be a room. "What should we start with? Maybe losing your memories of someone special to you?" the Goddess muttered. "Perhaps, Naruto-kun?"

Sakura's eyes widened in horror, but the Goddess merely laughed slightly. "Don't worry, dear Sakura-chan. I am not evil, nor your enemy" she smiled at Sakura, who merely relaxed a fraction. "I would never tamper with your memories... Memories are, after all, one of man kind's most precious thing" she kept on going.

Sakura waited for a long, long time, what seemed like hours, really, as the Goddess kept thinking of things, shooting out random ideas, and then quickly rejecting them.

"You know what?" The Goddess seemed to finally have made up her mind. "I have finally decided." she smiled.

Sakura looked up, her back straight, as she became ready to flinch at whatever the Goddess was about to take from her.

"I have finally decided... that I like you, Haruno Sakura"

Sakura;s eyes widened just a little as she looked up, only to find the Goddess now in front of her, her knees bent just a little, only a few inches from Sakura. So what did that mean for her...?

"I won't take anything from you" she simply concluded.

"W-What?" Sakura was confused. Sakura hadn't even said one word to her! Oh wait, correction, she had said "you must be the Goddess"! That was surely not enough for the Goddess to say she liked Sakrua, and let her go scotch free.

"Very well then, you shall now be taken to the past." The Goddess didn;t even give Sakura time to react, or say anything, as she planted a small kiss on Sakura's forehead. And with that, the goddess started glowing a light blue glow, and soon after Sakura did too, she found herself dizzy and passed out once again.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Rewritten, so as to look like crap ;D**


	2. In the Hospital and the Hokage

**i do not own naruto in any way oki?**

**Chatper 2: In the Hospital and the Hokage**

Itachi was going back to Konoha from a long mission in Mist, when he felt an unfamiliar chakra in an area nearby. Being the capable and devoted ANBU member that he was, who happened to adore Konoha more than anything, might I add, he decided to check it out and told his team to go on ahead since Konoha was just a mile away and he could handle it. He then started heading another direction to where he sensed the unkown chakra signature.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have any trouble...

_It seemed like luck wasn't on his side though..._

When he got there, he arrived at a small opening, and in the middle was a small girl about his age, with short pink hair.

_'Odd...' _He had to admit. Why she was here and unconscious was beyond him, but he guessed investigating a little further would never hurt anyone... He went up to her and felt her chakra. He noticed, albeit surprisingly, that it was extremely low and if she was not admitted into a hospital soon, the chances of her making it were... slim, to say the least.

So, he did what any good, caring, Konoha ninja would do; he quickly picked her up bridal style and headed towards the hospital. As he picked her up and started running towards the gates though, the strangest thing happened.

The girl opened her eyes. Yes, she opened her eyes.

Their eyes met for the shortest of seconds, and she quickly became as alert as ever, her eyes showing recognition, and... what was that...? Was that fear? All too quickly the girl shot out of his arms and quickly ran at him with speed that nearly surprised him. He dodged, just in time to miss her punch. She instead, punched a tree.

And man, he felt _bad_ for the tree. Why though? Because it broke in half and fell limply with a loud thud seconds afterwards.

_'What strength' _Itachi thought in amazement. He dare not think what might have happened had he not been an ANBU on full alert, and had not been ready for an attack at any given moment. No, he dare not think it...

He focused his attention on, what he now knew, was a kunoichi. She turned around, still terrified, but moments later, she finally gave in and fell over, now for sure unconscious. Itachi was wary once more, now more than ever. Okay, so the girl had fists dangerous enough to break a tree, and maybe if she had enough chakra, a mountain. Surely, he had to be on guard especially with her strength. Slowly, pausing to make sure she was actually unconscious when he was just a few feet away, he picked her up once more, and then began running back to Konoha, afraid maybe the girl would attack once more, all thoughts about the girl's current state in health quickly forgotten.

_'If she had enough energy to break a tree with no chakra to spare, her health is unimportant' _No, he didn't really mean it was unimportant, but he simply meant she would survive whatever had just happened to her.

He was surprised at how light she seemed to be (what with that strength, he expected at least _some _muscle), but he also caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a tattoo on her shoulder. If he didn't know any better, he would say that was an ANBU tattoo, but he quickly disregarded the thought, now nearing the Konoha gates. He ran past the guards and headed straight to the hospital, not even pausing as the guards sent him their regards, and asked what exactly he was carrying... or _who, _more specifically.

When he finally got to the hospital, he told a medic her situation, and she quickly took care of her. The last thing left on Itachi's mind was to submit his mission report to the Hokage, surprisingly enough. Usually he was all work and no play... well, he never played to begin with, but the kunoichi was still in his head. The strength and agility... not to mention what _exactly _she was doing in Konoha, passed out a mile away with seemingly no injuries whatsoever, but having absolutely no chakra to spare (though he was proven wrong when she broke a tree) had seriously left him beyond puzzled. Not to mention, if she were from Konoha, she would have caught his eye a _long _time ago. An opponent as worthy as her (as he guessed it) was worth looking over more than once. So that just made him wonder...

_'Where is the kunoichi from?'_

As he arrived at the Hokage's office he told him about a mysterious girl he had come upon with no chakra, but absolutely no injuries, and most importantly, no Leaf-Village forehead protector. This, in all, made her a viable threat, considering she had managed to catch Itachi of all people off guard.

"Strange" The Hokage admitted. "I'll have to go visit the youngster and see for myself who she is and what she was" The Hokage, for the first time in quite a while, seemed surprised. He excused himself, and told Itachi he was free to go, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear in the hospital's main entrance.

He entered, and no sooner were all eyes on him. He walked up to a nurse, who now seemed nervous to assist the Hokage.

"W-What can I do for you, Hokage-sama?" she asked nervously.

"Ahh yes, I am here inquiring for a young patient you have just admitted. She had chakra depletion and was dropped off just a few minutes ago by Itachi Uchiha." he began.

"Ahh yes sir. Right away sir." she said quickly, leading him to the room Sakura was staying without missing a heart beat. She had, after all, she come from that room.

"That is all, you may leave us alone now, thank you." After the Hokage entered the room, he turned around and assured the nurse.

"H-Hai Hokage-sama" she bowed, and the promptly left, having to deal with other things.

"Pink" was the first word that escaped his lips as he examined the young girl. Itachi had forgotten to mention this piece of information... this _important _piece of information.

She was still unconscious, resting on the medical bed. He approached her and began reading her charts. Her pulse was normal, and as Itachi had stated, there were no injuries. No mental trauma, no coma, no nothing.

She was stable.

Just with no chakra.

Strange indeed, he had to admit. Out of all the things he had seen in his day, this had to be one of the strangest. Her belongings had been stripped, all of which being some ninja attire, and a weapons pouch. He examined the pouch.

In it, there was nothing.

Nothing but a letter, that is

Oh, and it was addressed to him.

_Sarutobi_

The writing on the envelop was slightly sloppy, as if written in a rush.

Well, maybe this would give him more of a clue as to what exactly was going on.

_Dear Sarutobi,_

_First and foremost, let me explain who is writing this letter, and who this girl is, as you may be wondering. Let me clarify on my sentence: who **will **write this letter._

At this, the Hokage was at a loss for words, but he then continued reading, acknowledging the fact that he would only get more answers if he kept reading.

_It's Tsunade, yes, your granddaughter _**(A/N: Correct me if I'm wrong)**. _I write to you, currently eleven years in the future, as the Godaime. I have made Sakura Haruno (the very same) go back in time to stop a tragic event from occurring a few months from now (in your time). Please understand that this is for the best of Konoha. Let Sakura do her job, and try not interfering too much. I trust her with my life, so should you._

The letter than went off saying what Sakura's abilities were, and why she had picked Sakura specifically (Though the Hokage already had a hunch about that after reading her letter).

_-But I suppose you already knew that, Hokage-sama. You were after all, the person that was the closest to the Harunos'. I leave her in your care then, Sarutobi._

_-Tsunade_

Well that was... odd, to say the least.

Well, he would have to wait until she woke up to ask her more questions, he guessed. He tucked the letter into his robe, and then proceeded to walk out, only to discover Itachi there.

"Hokage-sama" he acknowledged, before bowing shortly. "Have you figured out the identity of the kunoichi?" he questioned.

Oh dear...

"Ahh yes that is Sakura Haruno, from the Haruno Clan. I'm sure you've heard of them." The Hokage began.

Itachi nodded. "Clan nearly wiped out months ago by Mist-nin." he nodded. Of course he'd heard of the Haruno Clan. He'd have to be an idiot to not have.

"Ahh yes, well, Sakura here survived because she was on a mission at the time. In fact, she barely just came back now." the Hokage added. "She must have suffered from chakra depletion while trying to get back to Konoha. The place she was at is quite a distance away from here. But onto current matters, since the clan is, as you know, wiped out, she has nowhere to stay." The Hokage did the best he could to change the subject, slightly worried Itachi would be able to see through his lies. "If it wouldn't bee to much trouble for Fugaku-san and Mikoto, I would like for her to stay with your family at the Uchiha Compound."

"Why not let her stay at her own compound?" Itachi asked.

"The Haruno Compound was a very large estate, and to suddenly find it empty, especially since when she left it, it was filled with liveliness and joy, must be heart-breaking and sometimes traumatic for a person. I would not want Sakura here to experience the same trauma that would ensue others." The Hokage said.

Itachi seemed troubled by his request, but decided to follow orders "Hai Hokage-sama."

"Oh and don't worry, I'll talk to Fugaku-san and Mikoto about it. I'm sure he won't be too happy about it, but Mikoto will pressure him into it. Of course neither of them know what this girl is capable of either." The Hokage said with a slight chuckle. Fugaku always was one to judge a person by their power. Seeing a girl passed out in the forest, with pink hair no less, would less than please him, even though he doubted Sakura was anything like how Fugaku imagined her to be.

Itachi was just the slightest bit curious about his words. "What are her capabilities, may I ask Hokage-sama?"

Then the Hokage replied "Well this girl is a very good medic ninja who is even better than Tsunade, I'm sure you've heard of her." Sarutobi paused for the slightest of moments to wait for Itachi to nod. "She was also trained by Tsunade herself and knows how to use inhuman strength. She also has very good, if not even perfect, chakra control, and her specialty is genjutsu's." said the Hokage knowingly. "Of course don't tell your father just yet, I want to see his reaction when he finds out this 12 year old is an ANBU." he chuckled slightly.

Itachi was shocked at his statement, but of course did not show it. I mean Tsunade _was_ the best medic ninja in the village and had improved their hospital a lot. Still, he had to admit their hospital would be a lot better had she not decided to leave too...Also, the fact that that 12 year old could harbor such strength was incredible. He just nodded and said, "When will she be out of the hospital?"

"Well she might have almost been in a critical condition, but this girl is very tough and very stubborn, I'll give her a few hours before she does regain consciousness." The Hokage spoke. "Oh and when you get to your house, tell Mikoto-san that Sakura has no clothes, sadly it was all burned down and ruined along with the Haruno Compound while she was away on her mission."

Itachi nodded, and after a few more seconds of eyeing the girl, and then the Hokage, he was off.

* * *

It had now been three hours, like the Hokage had said. To be more precise it was three hours and a half. Itachi didn't honestly expect her to be up in three hours, so he supposed maybe giving her more time would at least be appropriate, so as to not go there, and find her still asleep, and then either have to go back home and wait another couple of hours before returning, or having to sit in the hospital until she awoke.

Once he finally left the compound and arrived though, it had been just about four hours. He was directed to Sakura's hospital room, only to find her, along with her clothes, missing.

Now... where was she?

He eyed the medic behind him, who was startled, and now began panicking. Oh now... this couldn't be good... she lost her patient.

Itachi, knowing full well he wouldn't her any information out of her, merely walked past her and began searching for the Haruno.

Oddly enough, he found her in the children's play area... playing with the children...

This went strictly against his 'all work and no play' motto, but he dismissed it. At least the girl had the strength to back herself up, or he would have respectfully declined Hokage-sama's request to house her.

"Sakura Haruno" he said, approaching.

She, who had been busy telling a story to the children, looked up.

Emerald met Onyx.

"Yes?" she paused reading her story, putting the book down (much to the children's dismay).

"Hokage-sama gave orders to house you until you found a place of your own.

Sakura blinked.

Once, twice.

"Ahh... yes..." she frowned. She didn't quite know what reason he had given Itachi, but she guessed she could play along and see what would happen. "Sorry kids, but I must go now." she set the book down on the chair alongside her, and then stood up. "I'll come visit soon, I promise" she tried not to let the kids down, but then she followed alongside Itachi. No matter what age Sakura was, she always adored playing with kids and thanks to her stamina she was able to do so for such a long time. She honestly didn't understand what had taken Itachi so long to get here. Honestly she didn't exactly _know _who was going to pick her up, but she guessed some would, considering the letter Tsunade had written to the Hokage, was now gone.

"Above anything though, he asked to speak to you privately." Well that made things a little easier, she decided. Frankly, she didn't know what lies he had told Itachi to get him off her back (let alone what he had said to make her _stay _with them), but she figured this would give her time to clear a few things Tsunade had forgotten to mention in her letter.

When Sakura entered the Hokage's office, she instantly felt at home, being reminded of Tsunade, and Itachi excused himself and said he would be waiting for her outside.

Then they were left alone. The silence wasn't uncomfortable nor awkward, but they both had things they needed to say, and neither knew whether they should go first or not.

"I trust you are the Sakura Haruno barely starting the academy, correct?"

"You are correct" Sakura acknowledged, smiling slightly.

"And what exactly is your mission here?" The Hokage asked.

"Did Tsunade-shishou not share this information with you?" Sakura asked.

The Hokage shook his head. "She has managed to leave that part out, unfortunately." he replied.

"Well, I'm not sure whether I was meant to tell you, if Tsunade-shishou hasn't already..." Sakura frowned. She didn't like lying, or keeping truths for that matter, to Hokage's... she learned keeping things from them often landed them in disastrous situations. "But... I guess it won't hurt, as long as you don't interfere..." Sakura thought out.

The Hokage nodded. "I swear to stay out of it."

"Umm... well..." Sakura seemed hesitant, acting like they little girl she appeared to be. "Several months from now... Itachi is to... annihilate his clan..."

The Hokage's eyes widened, but he said nothing. "Itachi then abandons Konohga and becomes an missing-nin, later joining an organization, called Akatsuki, which happens to be after the tailed beasts, wanting to use their power to call themselves the supreme rulers of the Shinobi Nations..." Sakura tried summing it up as quickly as she could. From this, she practically the Hokage she was supposed to stop this whole disaster from being put in play, some way or another.

"I... see..." he said momentarily. "Well, it looks like you have a lot on your hands, don't you little one." he ended his sentence with a smile.

Sakura sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Well then, take staying with the Uchihas' a small help on my part. I assume everything is discussed now, right?" he began sorting some files on his desk.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." she nodded, bowing slightly.

"I hope to hear from you soon, Sakura."

"Likewise, Hokage-sama." And with one last bow, Sakura exited the office, and made her way outside, where Itachi undoubtedly was.

And with that, the two of them headed of towards the Uchiha Compound, with a lot on their mind.

**End of Chapter**

**Rewritten**


	3. Hikari

**hello everyone! next ch is up!**

**hope u like it!**

**disclaimer: I do not own naruto :/**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hikari**

Walking alongside Itachi was, she had to admit, one of the most _terrifying_things she had ever done. Hell, even facing up against Sasuke and Orochimaru was nothing compared to this. Even though, technically, it would be a while until Itachi defected so he was rationally not a threat now, it was still beyond heart-trembling.

If walking next to Itachi was scary, one could only imagine how it felt to engage in a normal conversation with him, let alone breath in front of him. Somehow, she felt that each breath she took would be her last, only to realize it wasn't, after she inhaled and exhaled once more, but then the doubt came back shortly afterwards. The only thing she hoped for was that Itachi, as skilled as he was, wouldn't detect her fear. Sure, maybe uneasiness was to be expected, considering she had never really met him before, and now she was going to _live _with him, but terror wasn't a normal feeling one would get while walking alongside a fellow Leaf Shinobi.

_'Oh, if only they knew...' _Sakura tried not to cringe at the thought.

What exactly was Itachi right now? He must be like a role model to many akin to the ways of a shinobi, and maybe... just maybe...

Sakura sneaked a peak at Itachi, and her thoughts were instantly confirmed.

_'Heart throb!' _she almost cringed at the thought. Itachi having fan girls at this stage was oh, so likely, but she could still not believe it.

**'It's like you and Sasuke all over again'**

Sakura merely jumped in shock as she heard a voice not unlike her own, yet not her own at the same time, speak up... in her mind...

_'I...Inner... is that you?' _Sakura could not believe it.

**'Look! You remember! And it's been so, so long too.'**

Sakura hadn't heard from her in _ages_. Promptly after she turned sixteen -and got a clue, inner kept appearing less and less, until she vanished all together. Though she had to admit the silence in her brain was always refreshing, she had always wondered what had happened to inner... she had become fond of her, in a way, you could say...

_'_**Once you grew up and didn't need me, I felt no need to stick around. I thought it'd be fun to experience something new though... You might need help along the way.' **inner merely replied to the thought unspoken in her brain. Still, inner _was _in there, so it was a no-brainer she could also read her thoughts before she even voiced them inside her head (if that even makes sense...)

_'Ohh...' _Sakura didn't reply. Part of it was because she had nothing to say really, and the other part...

Her eye twitched slightly.

A disturbance...

* * *

Itachi watched in, almost, amusement. _So _many different expressions had crossed the kunoichi's face in just a short amount of time, it was almost ridiculous. **_This _**girl was an ANBU? That was hard to believe. And no, he was not just basing that off of her appearance, even though the pink hair and innocent green eyes didn't help him think otherwise, but...

Goodness... she was _easier_ to read than an open book! That should seriously be saying something!

He had a feeling his father wouldn't agree to this arrangement easily... especially after meeting the girl... Sure, she was strong, an ANBU at that, but...

'_So emotional' _he noted. And very... _pink_, and vibrant. She was much like his mother. Very skilled, true, but too emotional. He knew his mother could always turn to serious whenever needed to, but still... Back to the current topic at hand though: the emotional kunoichi.

The last expression, he noticed, was annoyance, as she stared straight ahead of them. He followed her gaze, and couldn't help but agree with her, for once.

A girl with bright red hair and brown eyes, with a forehead protector neatly on her hair was seen. He recognized her. And even though he was sure Sakura had never met her in her life, she knew that girl was a problem too.

And how did Sakura know it would be a problem? Simple, she had done the math, and that girl must be around their age. And no, the math was not to calculate the age of the red-head. The math went a little more like this, if you will.

Tall + Uchiha x God-Like Traits = The Square Root Of Hot

The Square Root Of Hot x 2 (heir) = Sexy

Square Root of Sexy Unsquared = Beyond Sexy

Beyond Sexy x 4 (ranks: Genin, Chunin, Jounin, ANBU) = Jump His Bones

The math itself wasn't complicated. But the fact that Sakura was alongside him added one more part in the equation.

Jump His Bone / Accompanied By Girl Around Same Age = Annihilate The Girl (... and _then_ jump his bones)

And it was truly misfortunate that Sakura happened to be the girl alongside Itachi; it really was. So now, as the girl approached them, or more like tackled Itachi, she put her slimy hands around him, while also sneaking a glare at Sakura, who could, in all reality, care less. As long as the girl didn't insult her, she could have all the time in the world with Itachi. That is, after she was able to get to the Uchiha Compound and lay down, and think of her first day in the past, at least. Frankly, she wanted to spend the least amount of time with Itachi as possible, and whatever time she had already, was already too much, in her opinion.

"Itachi-kuuuun," she squealed in delight, "why are you hanging out with this ugly slut here when we can have some fun at my house?" Sakura's eye twitched in annoyance. Hey, what did _Sakura _ever do do to her? Oh that's right... she walked alongside him... damn...

"Excuse me?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. No, she wasn't mad or anything. She just wondered what about her _appearance _said she was a slut. Hell, that girl was showing more skin than Sakura showed in a bathing suit.

The girl completely ignored her, and kept on talking to Itachi, who was looking straight ahead, wondering howhe had gotten himself into this mess. Wait, no, this wasn't his fault. It was the fault of the kunoichi for being passed out near Konoha... Although now that he gave it a second thought, it was probably his fault for deciding to be a good Leaf Shinobi and deciding to check out the unknown chakra signature. His thoughts were promptly interrupted as the girl began speaking again, much to his displeasure.

"I mean come on look at her she is a total weirdoooo with her stupid pink hair and big ass forehead." The girl said in a disgusted type of voice.

Sakura's eye twitched again.

"I mean pawlease! She is probably a lame ninja that can't even defend herself, wouldn't you rather hang out with me, we can do a lot of fun things at my house, my parents aren't home." The girl said in a slutty voice that made Sakura want to puke, hearing the hidden meaning between her words.

Sakura's eye twitched yet another time.

Her inner self was just roaring on the inside, begging to have a go at her. '**She wouldn't survive one round with us!' **She bellowed. And inner was right, and that was why she did not feel like getting involved. Frankly, it was an unfair fight. Sakura had _years_ more experience than her.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to continue this some other time. Uchiha-san is a little busy walking me home right now." Yes, Sakurahad only half-purposely made it sound the way it had: provocative. She was hoping she'd be fuming and just walk away.

Unlike her plan, the girl merely scoffed. "As if he'd walk home someone like _you,_you freak." she rolled her eyes, appalled by Sakura's very existence, and then turned back at Itachi. "Come, I'll walk you to my house." she tried purring, but Sakura could swear it sounded more like... like a cat dying... choking... yeah, that was it. Goodness, she should really leave seduction to the _experts. _There was a reason a kunoichi could only start seduction lessons/missions once they were experienced Chunin. Genins, such as her, would not only use it for bad stuff, such as this, but they would totally ruin and make a bad reputation for the Art of Seduction. Honestly, Sakura had deep respect for it. It had taken her _ages _to master it, and it was most certainly a very useful thing for a kunoichi to master. But she was getting off topic now..

Itachi, from the other side of the conversation, just looked at the red-head in disgust, completely repulsed by the thought of doing... _anything _with her, to be completely honest. And goodness, where had all the _sanity_ of people gone these days? The girl was what, thirteen or so? Itachi could have shivered at the thoughts his brain was leading to, was he more like Sakura, emotional and easy to ead, that is. He guessed it was a good thing his mother had taught _him _better, at least. It was hard to find an actual female he didn't mind the company of, but this was honestly just _ridiculous._ He was about to throw her off his shoulder when he was interrupted by Sakura.

"Excuse me what is your name?" Sakura asked sweetly. Almost too sweetly, Itachi noticed.

"My name is Hikari, what's it to you ugly slut?" Hikari answered in an annoying voice.

"Well, first of all, my name is Sakura, not ugly slut." Sakura stated, rolling her eyes at the silly antics of the girl. "Second of all, you are calling _me_ an ugly slut when you are throwing yourself on some guy who, even though popular, you know nothing about, like a _real _whore? And seriously, have you _checked _the mirror lately? Or has it already cracked because of your hideous reflection? I at least look _presentable _for the public eye. You should cover yourself up." At this comment, the girl, Hikari, was gasping, shocked.

"And lastly, I have you know that I can protect myself quite well." Sakura said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Right" she snorted once more, trying to recompose herself. "Prove it" she turned to glare st Sakura.

She frowned. "I'd really rather not..." she began.

"See, you're scared of me." she smirked with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Not scared _of _you, but more scared _for _you." Sakura stated, shrugging, shaking her head. Even Itachi couldn't help but smirk a little at this comment. He didn't know any of what Sakura was really capable, not having actually see her fight (besides when he first met her) but really, it was obvious. Hikari, as he had learned, had just become a Genin. Sakura here, was an ANBU. And who knows how long she has been an ANBU, in that case. You really didn't need to be a genius like Itachi or Sakura to know who would win, if they did in fact fight.

Hikari, being the obnoxious devoted fan girl she was, was angered by the fact that she was insulted in front of her 'Itachi-kun'. So, she did the first rational thought that came to her mind that she thought would help Itachi be impressed, and show the pink snot-nosed brat know who was in fact superior:

She tried punching Sakura.

Which ended bad, obviously, for her.

_Horribly, _bad, if I do say so myself.

No, it wasn't that Sakura nearly killed her.

Pshht, no, of course not anything like that! It was barely Sakura's first day here... she was _hoping _to at least prevent assault charges until the third day or so, to be entirely truthful.

It just ended horribly bad because her ego was not just bruised, but _castrated and murdered, a_nd not to mention she had just made a complete fool of herself in front of her so called 'future husband', who wpuld probably not even want to marry her after seeing such a horrible defeat... not that Itachi was even going to, to begin with...

In all truth, Sakura had just tilted her head to the side slightly, almost as if confused, and Hikari's fist missed it's target. "Now, attacking blindly from a fit of rage is a horrible thing to do. See, if your enemy knows you're angry, they have the advatage. Rule 1: Don't let your enemy get you riled up, let alone let them _know _they got you riled up." Sakura sighed. Hikari, putting too much force in that punch, couldn't stop it as she was flung forwards towards Sakura.

Sakura lifted her hand up and pointed a finger, stopping Hikari from landing on her. Hikaru looked scared, meanwhile, Sakura couldn't be any more bored. And then... she flicked Hikari's forehead. "Think a little before attacking." she sighed, turning around and walking away. "Let's go, Uchiha-san?" she suggested.

Itachi gave a short nod before following alongside her.

Hikari was left confused for several seconds. She was so sure the girl would have tried something on her... in all truth, she had just humiliated Hikari some more. Her rage doubled tenfold. "Why you!" Hikari shouted, angered, as she ran forward once more.

Sakura sighed slowly, turning around just in time to see Hikari inches away from her, a punch aimed for her head.

Sakura lifted her hand and caught Hikari's fist in her own. "Rule Number 2: Be stealthy and inconspicuous. Don't let your enemy know you're attacking." Sakura sighed, as she twisted her hand, and caused Hikari to shriek in pain, as she followed, due to the pain. "You really should stop focusing on your looks." Sakura released her moments later, and then stared.

Her fingers once again made their way to her headband.

"This thing again?" she sneered dully, still mad at herself for not being able to get her.

Sakura smiled a little, wickedly almost. "Hmmm, is it?" she flicked her forehead once again. It took a second or two, but the impact was seen. Hikaru was hurled several feet away from them, where she stopped once she hit a fence, and then fell over, shrieking. "It was nice meeting you, Hikari!" she shouted after her, before turning around and walking once again, Itachi not even a second behind her.

He didn't say anything. Frankly, there wasn't much he could say that wasn't already obvious.

_That was freaken funny_

**'Well that went great' **Surprinsingly enough, inner was not being sarcastic.

_'Did it now?' _even Sakura felt like giggling a little.

**'Yeah, I bet Itachi-san over there think's we're awesome, huh?'**

Sakura peered over her shoulder to sneak a peak at Itachi once more. _'I doubt it... but who cares, really?'_

**'Hmm, I guess you're right...'**

**End of Chapter**

**hope u liked it!**

**review plz andy questions u may ask!**


	4. Meeting the Family and Shopping

**hello everyone! i hope u enjoy!**

**next chapter will me short but i promise the 1 after that will be better anf longer!**

**hope u like it!**

**disclaimer: i do not own naruto :/**

**I would like to thank my reviewers even if its only 3 =3**

**HyuugaAngel**

**hyuugalove001**

**Kon Bubble Blaster**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Meeting the family and Shopping**

When they arrived at the house, they were greeted by a warm welcome from Mikoto, and a big hug from Sasuke but it was directed towards Itachi. Sasuke then stared curiously at Sakura wondering who she was and said "Itachi-niisan, is this your girlfriend?"

Inner scoffed

Sakura said nothing.

Frankly, she was still a little shocked at seeing a miniature Sasuke. But once she did get over the initial shock of a non-emo Sasuke...

"What? No!" she exclaimed, processing what he was saying. Realizing she was overreacting (_'it's only a kid...'), _she sighed, bending down to hys eye-level. "I'm a visitor." she tried explaining. "I'll be staying here a while because I have nowhere else to go, and your parents were kind enough to take me in..." she gave him a gentle smile on top of that.

And with that Sasuke nodded, accepting the fact that his older brother would most likely not bring a home a girl in many, many years, and said "What's your name neechan?"

She replied,this question, relatively easy to answer. "My name is Sakura, but you can call me whatever you like." Sakura said with a big warm smile.

"Then I will call you Sakura-neechan. By the way I love your name; it matches quite well with your pink hair. Also, my name is Sasuke, you can call me whatever you like too." Sasuke said with a big smile on his face and a small blush. "It's nice to meet you Sasuke-chan" Sakura said with her warm loving smile that seemed to have brightened up the room. On the inside, she was squealing.

**'Oh Kami he's adorable!'**

_'Why can't Sasuke from the future be more like him?' _she mentally frowned. But when Sasuke began talking to Itachi and then pouted, the squeals were back, and she couldn't contain it anymore. He was just so cute!

But wait, no...

Sakura shook the thoughts out of her head. She was getting side-tracked. Sure, she absolutely loved this new Sasuke now (not like a creepy love-love she used to have for him, but an adorable love, as one would love their little brother), but she could not let that stop her.

She would kill Itachi

And Sasuke would hate her for it

But that was alright, because he wouldn't know that she was actually the little Sakura, so everything would be alright.

Right...?

Sakura didn't have too much time to linger on her thoughts. After all, there was, an over-bearing mother eyeing her with sparkles in her eyes. Sakura couldn't help but sweat drop.

Sakura then stood up and looked at Mikoto and said "Hello, you must be Mikoto-san; I have been told by the Hokage that I would be staying here. It is my honor having you guys as my hosts." Sakura said while bowing down towards Mikoto, showing her respect.

"Oh dear it's ok, it's my pleasure having you here." Mikoto immediately engulfed Sakura in a hug, which she found more than odd, but shrugged off quickly. "Besides, I could probably use the girl time since I never get any in a house with only three guys. You can only imagine what that's like, nee Sakura-chan?" Mikoto admitted with a smile. For her, Sakura was actually more like a miracle come true, if anything. Ehh, Sakura guessed it made sense. After all, Mikoto was a woman, mind you, one that loved to shop for adorable clothes that would no longer fit her... and unless Sasuke and Itachi didn't mind cross-dressing for her... (which Sakura quickly doubted)

"H-Hai..." she said slowly, and in all truth, she could. Being in a team with Sai, Naruto, and Kakashi, she almost felt lonely. Too many guys, not enough girls. It was always the worst.

"That reminds me, Kaa-san, Sakura currently has no clothes due to her being away so long, and..." he paused, knowing this wasn't exactly something Sasuke should hear "the incident a few months ago..." he waited for his mother to make sense of things, (in which she did fairly quickly) before continuing. "So she needs to go shopping for daily necessities." Itachi said while going up to his mother and giving her a small bow to show respect.

"Well what a miracle, I haven't been shopping for clothes in _ages_, well girl clothes that is anyways." Mikoto said as she exaggerated. Mikoto was currently cleaning the few dishes that were dirty. That was, until she heard the word "shopping". She promtply proceeded to drop the dishes she currently had back in the sink, and get her purse faster than the eye could see. (It almost scared Sakura to think what she was capable of in the battlefield).

Mikoto, as you could obviously tell, was what one would call a shopaholic. If possible, she would spend the whole day shopping without a second thought. **(A/N: To those girls who know what I mean! Sadly I am not one of them xD. I'd rather sleep)**

Sakura blinked, once, twice, and before she knew it, she was already been dragged by Mikoto, who was feverishly running to the shopping center, the smell of money being spent only fueling her to go faster. Sakura was about terrified at this point in time...

* * *

Mikoto and Sakura arrived in no time and entered a store where she could get her ninja clothes first. Sakura contemplated getting the one she had when she was actually twelve, but dresses were just so _unfit_for ninja attire. So instead, she settled for her ninja attire when she was fifteen, which was much more suited. Besides that, she got some gloves, kunai, shuriken, senbon needles, some scrolls, and any other weapons she would need for missions. She got a few dresses for celebrations and such, some regular clothes for regular days, shoes, bras (even though in her opinion, she hardly had anything to cover), underwear, and other things she needed like toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes, etc. They had gotten carried away with all the formal clothes and they decided to bring Itachi and Sasuke along to hold the all the bags while they just kept and getting more and more.

To Mikoto and Sakura, it was probably shopping heaven. And for Itachi and Sasuke it was probably the worst day of their lives. "Okaa-san I'm tired." Sasuke complained. "Can we _please_rest? At least for a few minutes." Sasuke whined with exhaustion in his voice. Sakura, being the kind hearted sould she was, almost felt bad for him... key word being _almost. _Frankly, she was enjoying herself too much to actually think of Sasuke and Itachi, though she could honestly hardly care what Itachi thought of the situation. Frankly, from the little she had learned about him the past couple of hours, he never complained.

"Well, sadly we _are_pretty much done shopping for clothes..." Mikoto sighed miserably.

Sasuke looked hopeful.

"-but there _are_a few things I need to get for dinner today so it will be just a little longer Sasuke-chan." Mikoto said with sadness in her voice. She really missed shopping for girls' clothes and she wished she could do it more often. Living with all guys must have been a pain for her.

Sakura laughed at Sasuke's crest-fallen expression. No, she wasn't evil, it was just too good to resist. After all, it wasn't everyday you saw Sasuke actually disappointed (or happy, sad, and basically every other emotion in between with the exclusion of bored and angry, that is).

They quickly went to the food area and bought what they needed for dinner, and left. Sakura had insisted they hurry, just so that Sasuke would stop pouting (because she was sure any more and she might go in a fan-girlish state due to the adorable-ness that was Sasuke), using the fact that the bags were extremely heavy as an excuse. In all truth, she was holding more bags than Itachi and Sasuke combined (even though Sasuke was only carrying three), and was holding up better than them.

Was that due to their wimpiness, or her inhuman strength?

_'Wimpiness it is.' _Sakura snickered childishly.

* * *

Itachi had to admit, setting down all the bags of clothes in Sakura's room along with everyone, and then returning to the kitchen, that this day in particular, had been the _worst _day of his life so far.

And he had had pretty bad days to begin with too!

But oh dear... he had to admit he had been more than flustered while standing outside the stores, or more specifically, the ones that sold bras and underwear. Why though? All the female population (from the ages of 5-15) who had passed by him had given him wierd looks (as to why though, he didn't quite know). Sasuke had gotten wierd looks too! But the wierd looks given to him were more like 'aww-he-is-embarrassed-being-outside-the-store-waiting-for-his-mommy' look, not a 'Itachi-Uchiha-a.k.a.-Mr. Sexy-is-so-cute-when-flustered'.

Oh, the nerve of people nowadays

This was beyond infuriating, he had to agree. He was slightly glad now, that he did in fact, not have a sister, and that Sakura would only be staying with them for a little while... That is, after all what the Hokage had said.

_And how many times has the Hokage lied...?_

No, the thought never occurred to him.

Once the bags were dropped off, Sakura began sorting everything in her new room, while Mikoto began cooking dinner.

Sakura had to admit, she liked the room. No, it wasn't anything specified for a girl, like pink walls and such. Frankly, she was glad it wasn't like that. She had gotten over the color pink, frilly clothes, and soft teddy bears (okay, maybe not so much in the area than the others), and she much rather preferred simple and plain.

It had white walls, dark wooden floor boards, dark wooden drawers, a normal queen-sized bed at the right corner of the room with a window right on top of it, and a cream-ish lamp and white night table next to it. She then went to the bathroom and found a big bathtub maybe big enough for about twopeople. The floor was made out of marble, and it looked very luxurious. All in all, Sakura had to say...

_'I love it!' _Sakura inwardly squealed in delight.

Sakura started to put her new clothes away in her drawers neatly. After that, Sakura packed away all her shoes, and everything else she bought. And after all of that, she lay down thinking about everything that was happening to her.

Time traveling

Having to kill Itachi

Seeing Sasuke happy

Meeting the clan before the annihilationg

Then she thought, what she would do if she wasn't able to go back to her own time? Would she ever find her true love and marry happily? Sakuracouldn't be so sure. Her true love would be in her own timeline.

Yes, Sakura still believed in true love, and in soulmates. Because really, in the world where she lived in, that was one of the only things she really had to look forward to, waking up each and every day. Besides... there was also the thing of reconstructing her _own _clan. Too many things were going through her head... _'stupid mission_' Sakura shook the thoughts away, standing up once more. It wouldn't help anyone if she just worried, so she had to take her mind off of it the best she could.

And frankly, what better way to distract herself than by helping Mikoto cook in the kitchen?She was cooking dango with dumplings. Luckily, Sakura was a pretty good cook and knew how to prepare it with ease. She used to always cook for Naruto and Sai whenever they would come visit her (which happened to be often, since they loved her cooking), and they always complimented her cooking. Even Kakashi came sometimes. They just couldn't resist Sakura's cooking, and they _especially_ liked it when Sakura would throw celebrations because she would invite everyone and the food was especially delicious. But hey, Sakura was getting side-tracked now...

The food was shortly done and Mikoto and Sakura started setting the table, putting the silverware, napkins, plates, drinks, and the food on it, making everything look elegant and nice.

**End of chapter**

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	5. Fugaku and the Fight

**My next chapter! hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Fugaku and a fight**

After Mikoto and Sakura had set the table, Fugaku Uchiha had come home from his job. Being the chief of the police force was not an easy job to have, as one must imagine.

**'He looks terrifying.' **inner commented casually.

_'Yeah, I can see why Itachi killed his clan...' _Not really. She was just trying to prove her point: Fugaku was scary, intimidating, and down right nerve-wrecking, in her opinion.

Or maybe that was just her, being the guest and all that was supposed to stay here while on her mission, trying to prevent him and his whole clan from dying...

Fugaku looked mad, but didn't he always? Well...did he? Sakura seemed to think so; most of all Uchihas (over the age of thirteen) seemed to act that way, from what she can conclude (the walk over here gave her more than enough proof). Well, Sakura could only hope his anger wasn't directed to her being... though she quickly doubted it... It was, Fygaku after all. She didn't know much about Uchihas (only actually knowing one of them), but she figured they were all rude and stuck up... and why should the head be any exception?

In fact, ig anything, the head should be even more rude and stuck up than the other Uchihas...

This, probably meant nothing good for her, she could tell.

* * *

Entering _his _household, he seemed to ponder why he had, for a lack of better words, seen _pink_ the moment he walked in. Not just pink though, a _bubble gum_ pink, with the lightest and most innocent green eyes he had ever seen too.

Weak?

Oh, you better bet your ass.

So yes, why was this girl in here again? After giving it a few seconds of thought, he recalled that the Hokage _had_said something about a guest for who knows how long. The Hokage hadn't really bothered to spare too many details (mainly because he himself didn't know any), and honestly, Fugaku hadn't really bothered to listen. After all, it wasn't as if he had a choice, or anything.

Frankly, ever since the mishap with the nine-tailed beast, the Hokage had taken high extremities in being alert and keeping them on the radar. In his opinion, that was undoubtedly preposterous. Why would he have any suspiciouns an Uchiha would do this? They were loyal to Konoha... hell, they had _founded _Konoha. (Too bad he didn't know it wasn't the Hokage doing all of this, but the elders in all actuality.)

So initially, Fugaku didn't think much of the request. Maybe it was just another idiotic test the Hokage was upholding to see if they really were loyal by keeping a measly, good-for-nothing kunoichi with them, and maybe, just maybe, she was supposed to send the Hokage weekly reports of her progress in the household, and whether or not she had managed to gain any information of them.

To Fugaku, it seemed highly probable.

Even Itachi had taken this into consideration, but he doubted it, considering they girl had appeared in the forest out of nowhere, the Hokage didn't know who she was until actually meeting her, she did in fact not have anywhere to go (because of the current state of the Haruno Compound), and above all, neither of them would have schemed so far as to nearly killing the girl just to try to wriggle some information from them.

But now, unto more pressing matters...

It was dinner time.

-And Fugaku was absolutely famished.

He really was appreciative of his wife. She got everything done on time, and he had what he wanted, when he wanted it. (Not to mention she was gorgeous and made such wonderful children for him). Yes, he absolutely adored her.

After everyone sat down on the table and started eating, there was an awkward silence which made Sakura oh, so very tense. She knew Fugaku didn't like her. Frankly, it couldn't be more obvious, what with the distaste he had clearly shown the moment he saw the color of her hair. And unfortunately, it only got worse when Fugaku spoke up.

"So you must be the child Hokage-sama told me was going to stay with us." The distaste was also shown clearly in his voice. Hell, even Sasuke could tell his father didn't like Sakura. Why though, he would not understand until maybe in the future when he learned about politics and where his clan stood in stature in Konoha as of now (that is, if his clan survived long enough to teach him).

"Yes Uchiha-sama, thank you for allowing me to stay here." Sakura said very politely, making sure that it wasn't obvious _she _wanted to punch him, just as much as _he _wanted to kick her out.

"So, where is your family? Surely they would have been able to provide you shelter?" he noted he used his last name, along with an endearment that showed he was clearly on top. Good -at least the girl knew where she stood in this pyramid.

(Itachi, from the side lines, couldn't help but wonder if his father was doing that on purpose, or he genuinely didn't know that she was a Haruno... either way, his father, impudent as he was, would do it either way, clan alive or not)

Sakura flinched. "I guess Hokage-sama didn't tell you." Sakura replied, not showing her anger. Hell, he didn't have to like _her, _but he was talking so rudely about her family, which she didn't appreciate one bit. "Let me properly introduce myself, Uchiha-sama. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm sure you understand where said conversation is leading to." she nodded at him.

There was silence. Fugaku, now understanding her family couldn't house her because they were _dead_, only felt the tiniest bit of remorse. When he had heard of the massacre, his prompt reply went something like this:

_'Serves them right. Being greedy, locking up their clan secrets and techniques. It was only a matter of time.' he snorted._

No, it wasn't that he _hated_the Haruno Clan or anything, but they had, in a way, been called Sister Clans for _nothing_. Yes, their techniques were said to be extremely similar in more ways than one. Still, the Haruno Clan tended to stick to themselves. To be more precise, they tried not to associate with other clans such as themselves or the Hyugas. So in all honesty, the 'sisters' must have not liked each other, because the Haruno Clan tended to not want to associate with the Uchiha Clan (the Hyuga they would, though not likely, but more often than Uchiha). And then everyone wondered why exactly assosciating with the Uchiha Clan seemed to be like taboo fir them..Something about making stronger weapons, being the issue. Fugaku didn't really see the harm in it; could they not see how powerful a cross between a Haruno and an Uchiha could be? The possibilities, really...

(and yes, by 'assosciating', he obviously meant breeding them...)

"Ahh" He stopped his train of thought before he decided that maybe breeding Itachi and Sakura wouldn't be too bad of an idea, and instead, pressed on to further increase Sakura's detest of him. Hell, he was basically interrogating her! And they were eating! There must seriously be something wrong with them, Sakura thought.

_'Okay, that settled that question... on to prying more information out of her...'_Fugaku thought, parting his lips once more to ask another question. "And how did you manage to survive?"

"I was away completing a mission at the time. I just recently got back earlier today, in fact." Sakura nodded.

"A mission that took over three months?" Fugaku questioned. That was absurd! He never had heard of that before! Well, now that he thought about it, he had heard it once ore twice before, but they weren't really all that likely.

"I was to be a body guard for a daimyo's children." Sakura nodded.

"You're ranking?" Fugaku asked once more.

"ANBU" Sakura piped in, awaiting his reaction.

She expected as much really, but she hardly even got a reaction out of him. But considering it had shown, it must have impacted him greatly. "Really?"

Sakura moved to the side, showing him her ANBU tattoo for proof. "I graduated the academy at age five, and reached ANBU status at twelve, right before leaving for my mission." Sakura said, mentally doing the math in her head.

"Interesting..." That had been a year younger than Itachi; that was even more impressive than he thought.

...Maybe he should reconsider his thoughts on the kunoichi and reevaluate her worth in the pyramid...

"Can we see your strength Sakura?" Fugaku then said, curious to see if she really was as strong as she made herself out to be.

It took Sakura a few seconds to comprehend what he had just asked, and when she did, she almost blew up. Sakura could _not_ believe the _nerve_of this guy! First he treats her like crap, then he interrogates her, only to find out she wasn't as weak as he made her out to be, and then expects her to fight for his viewing pleasure? Had she been taught the Haruno way (No violence unless necessary), she would have given Fugaku a piece of her mind.

"Well, I don't suppose denying the person supplying for my needs would show how truly grateful I am, Uchiha-sama." she began. "I don't suppose it would hurt, but I do ask that we do it after dinner."

Fugaku contemplated her answer. She was right; she really did have no choice, but it was nice to know she was respectful. "Excellent" and finally, _'finally' _Sakura added in sourly, he shut up.

Dinner then on afterwards was relatively quiet. Fugaku had nothing to say, having the information he wanted. Mikoto was still wondering when the next time she would go shopping for Sakura would be. Sasuke was eager to see Sakura and all her cool-ness.

And, well, Itachi was just wondering how he had gotten himself involved in this when he hadn't even opened his mouth. And how exactly did he get involved? Well, really, it was quite obvious. How would Sakura show her strength? Obviously by fighting someone. And who would she fight? Sasuke was clearly out of the question, along with Fugaku (he was supposed to watch the fight, not be _in _it), and surely not Mikoto, because she wasn't much of a fighter anyway.

What had his life come down to, he couldn't help but wonder. He hardly took any actions based on himself, and what he wanted. No, everything was "think of the clan" and "you're the heir, and it is your duty to-".

Perfect

That was the word. His world revolved around being perfect, in and out of the field. He sometimes wondered if being like that was really all just an act. He had been taught to be like that since so young, he could hardly even distinguish the thin line that seperated the persona his father had carved out for him, and who he really was. He detested his father for choosing out who he was to become... but he could not act upon his loathing for his father. No, he had to stay perfect and walk alongside his shadow. But again, his thoughts were speeding out of control. The main problem now was that he had to fight the kunoichi, which in all honesty, he sort of _did _want to fight. He wanted to test her capabilities, but at the same time, he didn't want to defeat the poor girl and have her father deem her unworthy.

No, it wasn't that he was fond of the girl. He just figured nearly dying, shopping for hours, and starting to live with a family she knew nothing about (because her real family was dead) would be too much for her to handle (considering she was as emotional as a new-born child, even though he had to admit she didn't begin yelling at her father when he began his questioning) and that she would want to rest up, and take in the days events before even considering fighting someone who had become one of the most powerful shinobi in Konoha.

He just wondered if the kunoichi understood what she had gotten herself into the moment she stated she was in fact, an ANBU.

Oh, things couldn't get much worse for him now... this really was turning out to be the worst day of his life for him.

* * *

After dinner, Sakura helped Mikoto clean the dishes and clear out the table, all the while thinking why she had the cursed luck to have to stay with the _main _household. If she didn't know any better, she would say the Hokage did that on purpose, as a prank almost. After Sakura's brooding and the cleaning of the dishes, the 5 of them went to one of their private training grounds somewhere in the massive Uchiha compound, where Sakura and Itachi would be fighting each other just as promised.

_'Blood line or no Blood line?' _Sakura questioned herself.

**'Better no. You don't want to hurt that pretty little face of his too much.' **inner replied, and Sakura was nearly startled, forgetting her inner was back.

_'I guess you're r-Hey!' _Sakura fumed, barely actually understanding what inner had said.

Inner merely snickered, and never replied. Sakura rolled her eyes, but focused her attention back to the real world, where they ahd inevitably arrived at the training grounds, and where Sakura would maybe, meet her doom. No, Sakura had to think positive. If she didn't win the fight, maybe Fugaku would look down on her, and think of her as a contagious disease. In other words, he would not let her any where near his son(s), thus making Sakura's mission all in all, _that _much harder.

But honestly, now that she thought about it, what was she to do for her mission? Tsunade had given her two options. One, being turn Itachi back into the good guy he was, so that he does not kill his clan, and everything stays perfect as things should. On the other hand though, if she fails to make Itachi 'see the light', then...

_'I'll have to kill him.' _The thought didn't scare her as much as it should. Maybe it was just her being rational, because at this rate, what were the chances she was going to befriend Itachi? She could barely look at him without shivering! The thought of having to fight him though, was a different case all in all. _'Maybe this'll give me a chance to see how he fights, and then maybe to better prepare myself for the future.' _Okay, maybe Fugaku wanting her to fight was a good idea.

Once in the clearing, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Sasuke went off to the side, a safe distance away, while Sakura and Itachi stood in the middle of the battlefield, several meters away.

Itachi stood still, obviously giving Sakura time to prepare, which she gratefully took. She stretched her arms and legs a little, before pulling on her gloves.

_Should she really be terrified to fright someone technically 5 years younger than her?_

Considering it was Itachi Uchiha, most would say she had a right to. Even when still a child, he was... scary, for a lack of better words.

Once Sakura was ready, which she made clear by getting in a fighting pose, neither spoke, moved, or even dared blink. It was the still-ness before the battle, where each opponent was taking time to not only mentally prepare for the battle, but to take in what could possibly be their strengths and weaknesses in battle. Even though Sakura hated to admit it, being from the future didn't help her as much as she would have hoped. Yes, she had seen Itachi fight before, but back then when she had, she had been too unexperienced to recognize just how skillful he was. Not to mention she hardly even knew what she could use to help her get an edge in the battle, besides the fact that _he_ didn't know what _she_ was capable of, and what her tricks were. And yet, Sakura knew it was mostly the same for her as well. Most of the techniques Itachi used back then (or sometime in the not so near future) involved the Mangekyou, which he had not yet acquired...

So, if you thought about it, they were both sort of screwed.

Well actually just Sakura.

A blink later, there was movement too fast to be seen by the untrained eye. Fugaku was watching perfectly with his keen senses, as well as Mikoto, but all Sasuke managed to see was flashes of pink and black, and hear the sounds of metal clashing.

All the while, Sakura was just trying to find an opening. Kunais clashed, and as soon as they did, they both jumped away, only to run at each other with full force once again. Itachi disappeared at the last second, only to appear behind her mid-air, and land a quick to her face, which sent her spiraling a few feet away. Gaining her balance quickly, Sakura landed on her feet, her hand already glowing green to fix the bruise.

And then she disappeared all together, vanishing in a swirl of Sakura petals.

Itachi looked around the area silently, his Sharingan eyes spinning. Where was she? He examined his surroundings closely, looking in all directions.

All except one, that is.

Had Sasuke not shouted to look out, he would have almost gotten caught in the cross fire. Sakura was just a distance away from him, on top, that is. Her arm was pulled backwards, ready to aim a (from what he could tell) very powerful punch. He jumped back slightly, gatching a glimpse of Sakura's smirk as he dodged.

It was then when he rememebered what had happened when he found her. _'Strength'_

And he had recalled correctly. The moment her fist made contact with the ground, the earth errupted and shattered, causing Itachi to jump back several meters, jumping from platform to platform, as they each gave and crumbled into nothing but dirt and dust. The necessary precautions to get away safely made him lose Sakura temporarily, who again, had vanished. Jumping back once more, he finally sensed Sakura, on top of him him once more, ready to kick him downwards. He turned around to get a better angle and brought his arms up to shield him as she brought her foot down on him.

Her foot collided with his arm, and he heard a sickening crack.

He paid no attention to it though, as he grabbed her her leg with his good arm and sent her hurling down right before he did.

They both landed with thuds, filling the area with dust, but Fugaku noticed, with much interest, that once the dust cleared, neither were there.

_'So much damage done by such a small puny girl, incredible. Not only that, but she can also catch up to Itachi's speed. No one in this village besides Kakashi can actually keep up with Itachi.' _Fugaku noticed.

Maybe he had no right to have treated her the way he did. Considering her clan was all but gone, the Haruno way would cease to exist. No more of that 'peace' crap. He was now considering the benefits of having the Haruno on _his _side, though he paid attention to the battle with ever growing interest.

Itachi was on top of a tree, clutching his arm, while Sakura was in another tree, completely opposite from his own, healing the leg he had inevitably broken.

If Itachi wanted to win, he needed to stop playing defense and go to offense. He couldn't block her, he noted, without breaking something.

Meanwhile, Sakura was thinking the exact opposite. If she wanted to win, she had to play more defense. If not, she would have to keep healing herself, and eventually waste all her chakra.

And so their tactics changed. Sakura was now dodging while Itachi was fiercely attacking. Trying a genjutsu had only worked for the merest of seconds, he noticed. Of course, their 'Sister Clan' would also be good at genjutsus too. But then what was she _not _good with? He was almost afraid of the answer.

_What if she **didn't** have a weakness?_

_What if she was just like **him**?_

Oh, the thought made him no, not terrified or worried, but slightly interested. He hadn't found anyone who could match his skills, let alone someone who could keep up with him besides Kakashi, even though Itachi was still the stronger of the two.

Things were just oh, so interesting.

After a few fifteen minutes more of fighting, he started seeing her weakness. She didn't have stamina.

_'Stupid body.' _She hadn't yet gotten accustomed to the height and length differences between her body now, and her eighteen-year-old body, so she tended to miss targets and not be precise. Because of this, she was getting worn out much quicker (not to mention she had trained this body to be up to date for what if would need to be), and her accuracy was decreased dramatically too. _'I'll have to work on this.' _She tucked this information to the back of her mind.

She had also found his weakness too. He was underestimating her. Well, it wasn't a weakness more than it was a bad notion on his behalf. It would give her an advantage, but the fact that she had her own pretty much cancelled them both, nulling out the effects of either party.

Things were about equal, Fugaku noticed, as he stood, watching the two heirs. Itachi was holding back, that much was clear. And he was right to do so. Giving away all his secrets and techniques to a girl who they didn't was a spy for the Hokage or not would not be a bright thing to do. Still, Itachi did have his fair-share of blows landed to him, with an equal amount done to the other kunoichi.

He had noticed, with much interest, Sakura had hit Itachi's tenketsu several times, which had rendered his jutsus null.

And well, frankly, Sakura was glad she had begged, and _begged _Neji to teach it to her. Since she was already advanced when it came to the field of human anatomy, she had learned it fairly easy, and it was helping her a lot now, because Itachi could no longer use jutsus on her. Still, she could sense this fight was nearly over, after almost an hour of fighting.

Itachi had two broken bones, and Sakura had sprained her ankle, and had nearly no chakra left.

Thankfully, Fugaku had called it a night, stating it was indeed a tie.

Sakura offered to heal Itachi's bones (which she felt sick in doing so), and felt she had no chakra left. Sakura fumed under her breath, limping back to the compound sourly.

She'd just have to take care of that in the morning.

**End of Chapter**

**Review please! I like favorites and alerts but for me reviews are better!**

**Next Chapter: Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto**

**Rewritten**


	6. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto

**Also, i have some questions to ask for the next chapters!**

**I will ask at the end of the chapter okay?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

_**Chapter 6: Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto**_

Sakura awoke early in the morning to the most unpleasant pain. _'Ugghh...'_

Stupid ankle

Stupid Uchihas

Stupid chakra depletion

After healing herself, Sakura brushed her teeth, hair, and got dressed, putting on her normal ninja attire, just because she herself wanted to train today, to make up for lost time her younger self never did, and because she still needed the body to fit her… needs, you could say.

"Good morning" Sakura was a little less enthusiastic about today, she didn't know why. Maybe it was just her waking up to a sprained ankle…

She found the food already set on the table, and just sat down, waiting for the others to arrive (as she guessed they usually did), Soon enough, Sasuke came running down stairs, as enthusiastic as ever, and halted right before he pummeled into Sakura's chair, and then smiled cheekily at her.

"Sakura-neechan" Sakura could have sworn he said that maybe too giddily than he should have.

"Yes, Sasuke-chan?" she hummed out, showing him a small smile. It was surprising how Sasuke grew so fond of her in such a short amount of time (and to be honest, so had Mikoto). Maybe it had to do something with her rivaling Itachi's skills (even though she could tell he was not trying his best, which seriously meant she had to start training a lot), which would, for Sasuke, mean there was another God in his presence (because he seriously considered Itachi to be not far from godly).

"Can you and Itachi-niisan walk me to the academy today?" Sasuke said, as cute as ever.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched for the slightest of seconds. Were she heartless, she would have already rejected him without missing a heartbeat. _No, _of course she _couldn't _walk him to school with _Itachi_, of all people, alongside her. Frankly, she had had nightmares about Itachi the previous night!

"Umm, I'll gladly take you Sasuke-chan." Sakura began. "But you'll have to ask Uchiha-san yourself if he wants to tag along." She was mentally hoping he would politely reject Sasuke's request, for he had more important things to do (_'such as planning how to kill his clan' _Sakura snorted it), than walk his little brother to school.

"Itachi-nii!" Sasuke then went running to who knows wherever Itachi's room might so happen to be.

Once out of eye-shot and ear-shot, Sakura let out a small sigh she hadn't known she had been holding. She now realized she was _mortified_ of even being under the same _roof_ as Itachi. And if she planned to, dare she say it, _befriend_ Itachi in any way, shape, or form, she had to make sure she wouldn't shiver at the sight of him, and didn't cringe every time she spoke his name.

Oh, this was going to be a very, _very_ hard mission to accomplish. Well, she guessed it was a good thing she _did _have plenty of time to train and then kill Itachi.

'_Cuz at the progress I'm making, Itachi'll never be anything more than the boy whose parents are housing me.'_

Itachi and Sasuke came walking in seconds later, Sasuke as happy as ever.

'_Damn…' _Sakura already knew Itachi had most likely accepted. And it didn't help when Sasuke had shouted it in her face too.

"Afterwards, we are to go to the Hokage's office for a mission briefing. It seems he has placed you on my squad, Haruno-san."

Well this was _great_. She appreciated the Hokage trying to help her get close to Itachi, she really did, but it wasn't helping her one bit, in all honesty. She was not ready to face Itachi. Frankly, every time she saw his face she saw the older Sasuke, vengeance-crazed, and Naruto, nearly dying by his hands.

It wasn't helping.

"Right" she merely responded, not looking at him directly in the face. Instead, she faced Sasuke, who eagerly sat down on the table ready to eat his healthy and nutritious breakfast. At least staring at Sasuke wouldn't give her nightmares.

Walking down the street alongside Sasuke and Itachi (Sasuke, of course, being in between the two), Sakura could tell one thing:

Itachi was not, under any circumstances, a morning person.

It seemed even the most devoted of fan girls, such as Hikari, were too afraid to approach him… or maybe it was the fact that they didn't want to get beat up by Sakura (in Hikari's case, anyway).

'**He's… kinda cute like that.'**

Sakura nearly choked on her saliva.

'_Kind of cute?' _she questioned her inner's sanity.

Though Sakura had to admit it was rather refreshing to see an emotion other than Uchiha (that had officially become an emotion, meaning: No Emotion), his face was scrunched up in a glare…

(Which the darkest depths of Sakura (a.k.a. inner) had to admit, when _not_ directed at her being, _did _in fact contain some form of… _attractiveness,_ for a lack of better words.)

Plus, Sakura noted, with him glaring at anything and everything surrounding him, he kept all the fan girls away, which definitely suited as a benefit. She didn't need to go punching more Genins out of her way.

'_It's most likely his sleep deprivation…' _Sakura didn't even bat an eyelash. Were he anyone important to her, he'd already be in his bed, knocked out from his pressure points being hit. But, Sakura, obviously being Sakura, terrified of the S-Class criminal, just walked, staring at him in dismay. If she was correct, this was all partly Fugaku's fault. She doubted any 13 year old boy was a natural killer by heart. Meaning, in order to be the perfect weapon, he had to be created into such.

'_Fugaku made him the way he is now.' _She thought in distaste. Had things been a little different for him, and Fugaku not as strict, maybe this whole thing would have been avoided.

'**From what Tsunade told you, the Clan annihilation thing was a set up, wasn't it?'**

'_Yes, she said something about the Elders telling Itachi, thus making him kill his clan. But as to whether it's true or not, and why they ordered it, we don't have the slightest clue.' _Sakura frowned. All she knew was, that a month or so back, while on a mission description to search for Sasuke, Tsunade had let it slip the 'old bags' as she put it, had made the orders to make the clan go bye-bye.

So now, the more she thought about it, how was she to get Itachi to defy orders from the _Elders,_ nearly as important as orders from the Hokage himself, to not kill his clan? Sakura was just a small twelve-year old girl. Elders were big 300 year old bags.

Sakura hated weighing her options

Frankly, she was always on the end coming short.

"Bye Sakura-neechan!" Sakura didn't even notice it when Sasuke was hugging her and then running off to enter the academy.

"Y-Yeah… Bye Sasuke" she was still too busy contemplating to actually give him a full-hearted answer.

She then watched as Itachi turned around and began walking to the Hokage's office. Sakura followed him, walking alongside him. So with no conversation going on between them, she went back to her train of thought…

Did they really need him alive?

No

Did they really _want_ him alive?

Yes

Think about it. A man, good enough to be in Akatsuki (let alone be one of the best in there), actually working in their ranks, and being _loyal_… well, no nation could ask for anything more, really.

And what was Tsunade's goal in all of this? She wanted Itachi to be _tied down _to Konoha. And what way to do that then to have him marry one of their own?

Of course though, Fugaku being Fugaku Uchiha, would never accept anyone from a regal clan, or at least someone with a lot of power (for the sake of breeding)

'_And where to find someone like that…'_

Hyugas and Harunos were the only clans who Fugaku would even consider deeming them acceptable.

'**I got it!'**

'_Hinata's older cousin!' _Sakura concluded right afterwards, mentally snapping her fingers.

'**I was actually thinking more along the lines of us…'**

'_He's like… seven years older than me. Besides, how is he to marry me if after I complete my mission I'm to go back to my time?' _Sakura looked at the rational side of Inner's comment, instead of exploding in anger at the thought. Seriously, she, and Itachi? There was no chance in hell.

'**If you are even **_**able**_** to go back to your timeline.' **Inner countered.** 'Besides, age has no boundaries when it comes to love'**

'_I beg to differ.' _Sakura snorted.

'**If you love Konoha as much as you say you do, then do it for them. Surely if Itachi was on our side things would be much better off for us.'**

Sakura didn't look convinced, even though the mention of Konoha did make her flinch.

'**At least give it a shot'**

'_I'll… consider the matter.'_

Even though Sakura thought that, she honestly didn't mean it. She wasn't going to consider _anything _with Itachi.

So instead, she decided maybe she'd find someone _else _for him while she was here… though in all actuality, she doubted he'd stay with said person for 5 years, and then end up marrying them…

Oh, Sakura was in a pickle.

So deep inside her thoughts, Sakura hadn't even noticed it when she had entered the Hokage's office, now standing in front of him.

"Good morning" The Hokage piped in, focusing his attention towards Sakura, who seemed less than pleased, if anything.

"Good morning Hokage-sama" Sakura bowed, along with Itachi.

"Now, you guys will have a mission tomorrow in the Sand Village." The Hokage cut to the chase. "Your mission will be to protect a small boy and his two siblings. This boy has the tailed beast, Shukaku, sealed within him. So has been reported, a few unidentifiable figures have been seen staking around the village, and one could only assume the worst. Not only that, but the Kazekage has suspicions the villagers there might be after the Jinchuuriki's head." The Hokage said.

Sakura nodded slowly, processing this, and connecting it to stories she had heard about what had happened to Gaara when he was small (in the future, of course).

Then the Hokage continued. "The young boy's name is Gaara and he is five years old. His older brother is Kankuro, six, and his older sister is Temari, seven. Gaara had always been hated in Suna, similar to our own Naruto, so he tends to shy away from others. Be aware he does not have full control over Shukaku, and it will be quick to attack if it feels threatened." The Hokage warned lowly.

"You will be protecting those three just as a precaution, if the ninja, if there even are any, feel like having a hostage situation take place. You will stay there for about a week until reinforcements arrive. After that you are to come back here."

He then directed his attention to Sakura. "As you may have already guessed Sakura, you will now be paired up with Itachi's squad which consists of himself, and Hatake Kakashi, I do believe you might be familiar of him." the Hokage said.

Sakura nodded, trying not to snort at his comment. How could she _not_ know him? He was her ex-sensei, after all.

"He was not able to attend this meeting because he just came back from a mission and is in the hospital today. But he should make a full recovery today for him to go on the mission tomorrow." He looked at the occupants in the room. "Any questions?"

Itachi stayed silent, whereas Sakura shook her head quietly.

"Very well, you shall start packing today and you will leave tomorrow early in the morning, dismissed." The Hokage said and with that, Sakura and Itachi bowed and walked out.

Sakura couldn't quite help but wonder what this mission would be like. She highly doubted it was a big mission, B ranked perhaps, since there _was_ a chance of confronting an enemy, whoever it may be. Still...

'_A whole week with Itachi… and Kakashi of all people.' _She cringed at the thought. No offense to him or anything; she loved Kakashi dearly and all, but he, was a pervert. She couldn't stand him way back then (or way ahead then), so why should it be any different now?

'**You must befriend Itachi…' **Her inner thankfully (not) reminded her.

The walk out of the building was exceptionally quiet, while Sakura was trying to take inner's advice and… _befriend_ Itachi.

"So… ummm… ever been to Suna?" Sakura asked. That had been the first thing that had happened to pop into her mind.

Itachi looked at her for a few seconds –somewhat oddly at that, and then parted his lips. "A few times"

"So… you're familiar with the area?" she questioned.

"More or less" he nodded. "You?" Sakura was surprised he even bothered to reply, let alone ask a question of his own.

Sakura contemplated her answer. "Once or twice" she said. "All I really know about that god forsaken place is, that it's hot, and has an infinite amount of sand." Her voice sounded slightly upset. And it was true, for the most part. She really didn't like Suna, mainly because of the heat. Not to mention there was nothing but sand everywhere, and no green for miles.

Had Sakura been paying any attention, she would have seen his smirk. But no, she was too busy being shocked Itachi had bothered to say anything.

"That was a formidable battle the other day, Haruno-san." He said after a few several seconds of silence.

"Oh, uhh, yeah. Back at 'cha" Sakura said, at least slightly giddy on the inside he had bothered to _compliment_ her, of all things. "There's no need to be so formal. We're on the same team now… We should, try getting better acquainted." Sakura said slowly.

'_First step of befriending is to drop the formalities!' _Sakura mentally shouted in victory in her head, happy the whole 'team' crap worked in her favor to at least melt the ice (more like glacier) between them.

"Ahh…"

"Really, Sakura's fine" Sakura insisted, sensing as if Itachi didn't quite get the message. Well, not get the message, but insisted not to follow it.

"Hn"

Much better

Conversation from then onwards was relatively small. Something about what Kakashi was like (even though Sakura already knew the answer to that), and foods they particularly liked (because Itachi insisted he didn't favor specific food)

"Everyone has favorite food!" Sakura exclaimed loudly, pouting almost. "You, as well, have a favorite food, no matter how much you say you don't." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Hn"

Ahh, the conversation ender. "Fine, fine, ignore me. I'll prove myself right eventually."

Sakura didn't know whether or not she was doing a good job at pretending to be thirteen or not, but after arguing with Itachi for a few minutes, she found herself acting less and less, much to her displeasure. No, she wasn't childish or anything… Itachi was just… adult-like… Yeah, that was it...

They arrived back at the Uchiha Compound, where Sakura packed her bags fairly quickly, and then stared at the ceiling for twenty minutes.

'_...Absolutely nothing to do in this hell-hole...' _Sakura frowned.

Instead she got up, already sensing inner was about to erupt with ideas of what to do, and headed off to the room she knew to be Itachi's (she only knew because she saw him go in 30 minutes ago), and knocked twice.

"Hn" the soft mumble let Sakura know it was okay to enter.

She first peeked her head through, embarrassed she was approaching Itachi, and seeing as it was okay to enter (she had, unknowingly, checked for booby traps), entered his room completely.

He was there, lying on his bed, reading a book.

'**Booooringgg' **inner drawled on, exhausted by merely the _thought _of reading a book, especially as big as his (though Sakura calculated it was approximately 300 pages).

"Umm… hey" her usual, boring, nervous greeting.

He merely looked up from his book, as if asking what she wanted from him (not to kill his clan being an exception).

"So… is this what you usually do… you know, when you have free time?"

"Yes" he gave a curt nod.

Sakura snorted. "Come on, even _sleeping_ is better than reading a book I'm sure you've read over five times"

Itachi ignored her last comment (mainly because she was completely and utterly right) and instead, settled with a "taking a nap now will alter my sleeping pattern."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the typical logical and rational response. "Well seeing as I'm completely bored out of my head, and you're..." she stared at him for a few seconds "doing nothing important, why don't we train or something...?" she suggested.

At the mention of train he was all ears. In fact, he wouldn't mind another rematch with the kunoichi. He never replied, but Sakura knew she had him the moment his eyes came off the book once more.

"Shall we make it no chakra?" he was, in all actuality, saying he didn't feel like breaking bones today.

"Hmm, and no Sharingan?" her eyes were closed as she thought, but as she voiced out her option, she peaked with one eye open.

Itachi smirked

Sakura noticed, with slight pride, Itachi had directed them to a different training ground. Apparently, she had castrated the previous one too much, and was for now, unusable. Once going over their fine set of rules once more, no chakra or kekkai genaki (this went for both of them), they began practicing.

Their training went on for well over two hours. By then, they were both fairly exhausted, and thrilled by the match (at least in Itachi's point of view). In all honesty, Sakura was still mentally cursing herself for not being able to defeat him.

'_I'm five effin' years older than him!' _Sakura bellowed inside her mind, out-raged.

'**Yeah but he's an Uchiha… not to mention Itachi Uchiha'**

Even though the statement inner had used to counter should have made no sense at all and clearly not helped, it somehow... seemed to fit...

Once healing all the injuries they had managed to acquire, they lay down on the cool grass, mind you, Sakura much more open and stretched out that Itachi, who merely had his arms behind his head for support, whereas it seemed like Sakura was making a snow angel. With clearly nothing to say to each other, they took the comfortable silence (almost), and began watching the clouds...

...Which eerily reminded Sakura of Shikamaru, which just made her want to smile in happiness.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, she was being watched an observed, by yours truly, Itachi.

Of course, it only took some pointing out from inner for her to notice, making her snap out of the crazed fascination she had been having by the sky just a little while ago.

"Why are you staring at me, Itachi-san?" the question was genuine, and Sakura couldn't help but let the heat rise to her cheeks. No, it wasn't from embarrassment or anything... well, maybe it was, but it was embarrassment of not being able to sense his stare on her sooner.

"Itachi" he said instead.

"What?" she questioned, confused.

"Calling me Itachi is more than adequate"

"Oh... alright" Hey, maybe Sakura _was_ making some progress with him. "But you're avoiding my question!" she added a few seconds afterwards. "Why were you staring at me?"

"Hn"

"Umm... come again?" Sakura dared, glowering slightly.

"Hn"

In all actuality, Itachi didn't want to admit he was trying to figure out the kunoichi. So free spirited and emotional, but once stepping inside the battle field, she seemed to change completely, taking in the actions of... _him _almost.

Sakura glared, but seconds after, the glare turned into a loud, honey laugh, and Sakura just couldn't control herself.

And why had she laughed?

She had been reminded of back in the days in Team 7, back when Sasuke was still around.

It was a night similar to the one it would be today, Sakura could tell, where her team had been star-gazing, Sasuke as pouty and unemotional as always. And well, Itachi, laying right next to her, not saying anything besides that one-syllable word (if it could even be considered that), had reminded her so much of those good ol' days.

Itachi, almost flabbergasted by her sudden outburst, looked at her in pure confusion. He wanted to, so badly, voice out his thoughts, and ask his question: why was she laughing? But no. Itachi was never supposed to ask questions. Itachi was supposed answer questions.

And surprisingly enough, almost as if reading his thoughts, she spoke. "I'm sorry... you just reminded me so much of a close friend I once had a long time ago." Sakura wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, because she had been laughing too much. She then turned her head to face him, much like how Itachi had done when Sakura caught him observing her. "You even got it down to the eyes..." the last statement sounded much sadder than Sakura had hoped... but it was true.

'_His eyes show so much sadness. It sends shivers up my spines.' _And yes, it did remind her a lot of Sasuke._ 'It's like he knows what he is meant to do already. _Sakura thought. There was a chance he already did, then again.

She knew that he had saved Sasuke for a reason. Maybe he was the one person he just couldn't kill for he cared too deeply for him. But she didn't know what to make of anything as of now. She felt bad for him knowing what he would do in the future. What he would turn into...

Itachi too, had read her eyes. They showed sympathy and sadness, and _longing._ But longing for what? Something inside Itachi snapped suddenly, and he turned away briskly, standing up at once, after repeating his translation of her eyes once more.

No, this shouldn't be happening.

"Itachi, what's wrong?"

"Don't pretend as if you know me." The words sounded so dark, she almost didn't believe it was coming from Itachi. No, wait, correction: she didn't believe it was coming from the Itachi she met earlier that day. From the Itachi from the future though, was a whole different story.

'_So much for making progress...' _Sakura growled, watching as Itachi left.

She didn't move. She didn't plan to for a while, in all actuality. For the briefest of moments, looking into his eyes, she could see the human inside of him.

The him in pain. The him that wanted someone who understood him.

She had almost reached out to him.

But what had happened? Something inside him had snapped. Had made him realize he was leaving himself open and _vulnerable _in front of someone he had just met the previous day.

And now he shut her out

Right when she was _so close _too. This just meant it was going to prove harder than she already thought possible to get through to him.

But hey, maybe Tsunade was right about this so-called 'power' of hers. Even if for only the slightest of moments, she had seen it.

The light

The _real _Itachi.

This just meant maybe it wasn't a lost cause trying to befriend Itachi after all… even if it would prove to be a little trickier now, considering he would most likely have his guard up even more when around her.

'_Too bad he's going to be stuck with me for a whole week straight.' _Sakura chuckled out loud as she got up, brushed herself off, and then began walking back to the direction she remembered the compound to be.

Entering the compound once more, she saw the familiar face of Mikoto, which sent all thoughts of Itachi out of her mind...that is, until he appeared at the dining table once more, ready to eat dinner.

"Where were you two at?" Mikoto asked.

"We were… uhh, training..." Sakura commented slowly, her eyes and Itachi's eyes meeting for the briefest of moments before they both looked away at the exact same time.

"I see." She diverted the topic quickly. "Would you two please go pick up Sasuke from the academy? I meant to ask you two sooner by you didn't show up." Mikoto said, while cooking.

"Certainly Mikoto" Sakura nodded, and was already opening the door once more to exit. She paused for the briefest of seconds once outside, and waited for Itachi, and they soon settled for the same pace.

Yet again, no one spoke.

Halfway there though, Sakura parted her lips, more because she had to more than wanted to. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Itachi-san."

Itachi didn't reply.

"You just remind me so much of my friend... You know, he was very dear to me."

Although pretending not to care (though he honestly didn't) he couldn't help but hear the 'was' in her sentence.

Five minutes later, they arrived at the academy, Sasuke being one of the last few kids that still hadn't gotten picked up. "Finally! I was waiting forever!" with a small wave to his teacher, he ran to Sakura and Itachi and jumped on Itachi, who skillfully held him in place.

"Sorry, we were busy" she smiled gingerly, watching as Itachi situated Sasuke on his back, giving him a piggy-back ride, as they slowly began walking to the compound. Sasuke, wanting to take a short detour through the park, pleaded with his puppy look, so they really had no choice but to comply.

And while nearing the end of a park, near the play ground, Sakura spotted a distance away, something that caught her eye.

Or someone, more specifically.

"H-Hey, you guys... I just remembered, I have a few things I need to do real quick..." Sakura said slowly, her gaze still lingering on the person.

"Will you be back home in time for dinner?" Sasuke pouted.

"Umm... I don't think so, sorry Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke pouted, but no other words were spoken, as Itachi walked onwards.

Sakura waited for about 10 seconds, before sighing and returning her attention...

Back onto her younger self...

She was being bullied by some boys. _'I remember that day...' _Sakura frowned slightly. She had returned home and cried her eyes out in front of her 'parents' (the ones that had adopted her). In truth, she had been crying because she found Himawari no longer _there _to protect her, it wasn't because the bruises hurt.

Sakura toughened up, quickly transforming into a girl who didn't look exactly like her younger self. In truth, all she did was change her hair color to black, and readjust her forehead so it wasn't big as well. And with that, she quickly approached her younger self.

"What do you kinds think you are doing? It is not polite to pick on others, especially little girls." Sakura said in a strict manner as if talking to her children... Well, as strict as you could possibly seem while twelve. Still, they were only six, so she might have more of an effect than she previously thought.

"S-Sorry! But she has such weird hair! And a big forehead!" the reaction was instant, as they stepped away from little Sakura.

"That is no excuse. Now apologize to her and go home before I tell your parents! And if I ever catch you doing that again be sure I will do something about it." Sakura said. She knew what her younger self was going through at that time. She didn't want her to go through it again. The little kids quickly told younger Sakura sorry (not really meaning it, but hey, it was an apology none the less) before running off, afraid of what would happen if their parents found out.

Watching the little kids run away, Sakura bent down until she was eye level with her sobbing younger self with her hands to her eyes trying to wipe away the tears. "You're okay now, don't worry" Sakura tried soothing herself. "What's your name little one?" Sakura questioned even though she knew the answer.

"S-Sakura, it's Sakura Haruno."

"Well, would you look at that!" Sakura exclaimed. "My names Sakura too, what a coincidence." She smiled.

"Really?" she took her hands off of her eyes slowly.

"Yup!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Thank you for saving me from those bullies." Sakura shyly said. "Sakura, do you want to have some ice cream?" older Sakura asked while helping her other self get up, clearly remembering an ice cream parlor just a block away.

"S-Sure." Sakura responded. **(A/N: I'm getting tired of putting older/younger so if she is stuttering then she's younger kay? :D)**

"What would you two ladies like?" the ice cream vendor was a slightly chubby man, with a peppermint ice cream stain on his apron.

"What would you like?" Sakura looked down at her younger self.

"Chocolate" she said after a little hesitation.

"One chocolate please, that'll be all."

"Alright"

Sakura quickly paid for the ice cream, and then handed it to herself, while walking to a bench, where they sat and conversed.

"Is chocolate your favorite?"

"Yup!" Little Sakura seemed a little happier and less shy, now that she had ice cream.

Sakura giggled endearingly. "That's funny, it's mine too."

"We have a lot in common, don't we Sakura-neechan?"

Sakura laughed "Yeah... yeah we do"

They had a lovely time eating and talking and soon, little Sakura was not so afraid. Sakura began telling her about ninja life (after little Sakura let it slip she was in the academy, training to be one), and about missions, and her what her teammates were like (even though she left out the names). She then began telling Sakura she could be a great ninja if she really set her mind to it.

"T-Thank you Sakura-neechan... for saving me from the bullies and sharing advice with me. Next time, I'll be stronger, so I won't be bullied, just you watch!"

"Sakura, can you make me a promise?" Sakura noted her younger selves ice cream was almost gone.

"Y-Yes Sakura-neechan?"

"Never be a fan girl and practice on your ninja skills. Being a fan girl gets you nowhere."

"H-Hai." She didn't quite understand why her kind nee-chan had brought that point up out of nowhere, but she nodded without hesitation.

"It's getting late now. I think you should hurry back home before your parents worry too much."

Little Sakura quickly said her good byes, saying she hoped they met again soon, before running off to her house.

Finally seeing little Sakura disappear, Sakura sighed and dropped the henge, before whistling a small tune, stuffing her hands in her pockets, and then beginning to walk back to the Uchiha Compound.

Rounding a corner though, she heard a lot of clutter and metal dropping, and a man scream. She didn't think much of it at first, thinking maybe a restaurant owner chasing away a cat or something. That is, until she saw an orange blur running away. And well, there was really only one person who would go around wearing so much bright vibrant orange like that.

Sakura, now more intrigued, followed her ears to see a scene unfolding. Poor Naruto had tried taking some food from the market, but got caught once tripping on a rock.

"Why you stupid demon trying to steal my food!" the owner said. He was about to hit Naruto with a pot he had in his hand when Sakura stepped in to block him away from Naruto.

"Move over little girl, this little monster was trying to steal my food." The man looked outraged

"Then I'll pay for it. Just leave the child alone" Sakura quickly tossed the man some money.

"He's not a child, he is a monster! Don't you know what's inside of him?" The owner protested. By then a small crowd had stopped to see watch.

"He is not a monster! Just because there is something like inside of him! What if your child had one in him? Would you treat him or her the same way, huh?" Sakura questioned, making the older man fidget from her intense gaze. "Think of your children. Would it not hurt to see then have to go so low as to not starve himself? I hate people like you who judge others without knowing who they really are. That just makes you guys the real monsters!" Sakura said slowly, remembering all the things Naruto had done for her. It just wasn't right. He had saved all the villagers here... how could they treat him so cruelly?

By now the crowd was murmuring to each other about what she had just said. They thought real hard and some even started crying seeing how awful they had been treating a child of a mere age of 5. Some agreed with her, while others just ignored her completely.

Sakura bent down towards a shaking Naruto and saw he had a scratch on his knee from the fall earlier. She quickly moved her hand towards him and saw him flinch, most likely because he thought she was going to hurt him.

Sakura assured him she would not harm him, and then healed his injury. Naruto was as surprised as ever. No one had ever treated him nicely besides Iruka-sensei and the Hokage.

"Thanks neechan! Naruto said enthusiastically. "Come on Naruto, would you like to have some ramen with me?" Sakura said with a big smile on her face.

Naruto nodded eagerly as Sakura helped him up, and then the two quickly walked onwards, ignoring the crowd staring at them.

Sakura herself only digested one bowl, but for the most part, she watched in amazement and awe as Naruto ate bowl after bowl, probably consuming his weight in total.

'**It was a bad idea to treat Naruto... we're going to go broke at that pace!'**

And inner was right, but she could hardly care. It was Naruto after all. Nothing was ever too good for her Naruto.

Though the conversation was kept to a minimal, Naruto busy eating, and Sakura adoring his younger self, it was made clear they both held affection for each other (Sakura more than anything), and after he finished his third bowl, Sakura paid, and then Sakura dropped him off at his apartment.

Soon afterwards, Sakura returned to the Uchiha Compound, finding only Mikoto and Itachi still awake past that point (Fugaku had retired to his room about fifteen minutes earlier after a harsh day at work). Mikoto had reminded them both about the mission the next day, telling them it would be wise to get the best sleep possible.

With all her thoughts put to rest, she made her way to her room after bidding them both good night, took a quick shower, and then fell asleep on her comfortable bed.

**End of Chapter!**

**1: Do you guys want any other pairings?**

**2: Should Sakura stay in the past or be able to go in the future?**

**I will post #5 as a poll for I expect more answers for that one. **

_**Rewritten**_


	7. Going to Suna

**INNERS (yes, SSS I guess you know what that means)**

_Thoughts_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

_**I would like to make some shout out's 2 some people… but, it will be at the end of the chapter so bare with me!**_

**Chapter 7 Going to Suna**

It must have been around 6:30 when Sakura awoke from her slumber. Since she had taken a shower the previous night, she didn't have to worry about waking up earlier. Once she got dressed in her usual attire (this wasn't a mission assigned for ANBU ranks), she went down stairs and made herself a quick breakfast, consisting on two slices of bread, toasted, with butter on top.

Just as she finished eating, Itachi walk down stairs, fully dressed in all black (no surprise there). They spoke no words to each other, but headed outside together, walking towards the main gate, the designated spot to meet up with Kakashi.

Sakura thought it would be... rather amusing, for a lack of better words, to see her former sensei now being on a team with her, where she was as strong as him, if not stronger. She thought about teasing him, but decided against it. Maybe now, since she wasn't his student, he wouldn't be afraid to prank her back...

There had been only one little detail she hadn't calculated when meeting Kakashi...

**'Damn he's hot!'**

And this, Sakura couldn't deny. He didn't look much different than his older self, besides the fact that he was just the tiniest bit shorter, and didn't have that wrinkle when he smiled. But hey, she guessed as much; Kakashi _had _been the most attractive between Lee and Asuma.

"Hi, you must be Kakashi Hatake" Sakura was the first to introduce herself, considering Kakashi was reading over a book.

"Yeah..." he didn't bother greeting, which would have bothered Sakura, had she not been so used to his behavior. Still, it _was _her mission to pretend to be a normal twelve year old girl so...she guessed she should play the part as well, right?

"Hmmph, how rude" Sakura glared a half-hearted glare at Kakashi. "And is that... _Icha Icha Paradise?_" Sakura squealed in horror and disgust, although she honestly expected as much. The Kakashi in her time was a pervert, so why should his younger self be any different?

Kakashi, obviously caught red handed, sighed, and put the book away, not wanting to deal with the consequences if she decided he was just too disgusting for her liking. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" his voice, Sakura could tell, was sarcastic and irritated.

_'Yeah, you better put that book away' _Sakura mentally laughed, with a small side note. _'He must have hit a good part'_. "I'm Sakura Haruno, pleasure to meet you." she held out her hand to shake his. He didn't shake, like Sakura had expected, but instead, pushed himself off the random pole he had been leaning on. "Well, let's get moving since the introductions are all out of the way."

Sakura chuckled slightly, gripping on to her small pack of belongings before they set off.

* * *

No one had spoken for a while. In fact, no one had spoken for over an hour. The last interruption had been by Sakura, who had threatened to pummel Kakashi to the ground if he began giggling or making strange noises from the back of his throat again while reading his porn. Yeah, that's right, Sakura wasn't about to sugar-coat it -she was eighteen after all, and eligible to at least _think _such vile words in her adult mind.

Itachi began realizing she had quite the temper. Not only that, but mood swings as well... Well, maybe not mood swings; he was sure she had good reasons for acting the way she did, but he still found it strange how she could change her attitude so quickly.

Itachi was slightly frustrated with himself. For the past hour (and if he were honest, all the previous night after the incident at the training ground), Sakura had been the only thing he could think about. Who knew the reason why. Maybe it was because she was, as of now, the newest thing that had entered his life, and he had yet to break her apart, figure out every inch of her being, and then peice her back together, like he had done to every other person he had met before her.

Not only that, but he could still not believe, after everything, how she had seen his true emotions, or why, he in the first place had let his guard down enough to let her slip in. Either she was very good at opening people up and reading them (much like he was), or he had had a moment of weakness, fueled by the the weariness the battle had brought on, plus the contradiction that was the kunoichi's very being.

It was unsettling, to say the least.

Itachi had to figure her out. And fast.

As far as he could tell though, she seemed odd. Not only was she a little too happy than she should be (her clan had died only months prior), but she seemed... oddly indifferent, almost. From what he had gathered, Sakura Haruno was a very, very emotional girl. Driven by the fact that her clan had died while she was away, making her probably one of the only survivors (though he did remember a smaller girl similar to Sakura), she should be at the very least, very emotional when it cames to certain topic. Still, the girl had smiled on, and as far as Itachi could tell, the smile hadn't been forced, or fake. Not only that, but unlike previous encounters with other kunoichi, she was not, by any means, obsessed with him. But that wasn't the thing that struck him as odd though. There had been a few girls (such as Anko, Hana, and a few Aburame and Hyugas) who hadn't fallen for his charm. The thing was, at the beginning, it didn't seem like she even wanted to _assosciate _with Itachi, almost as if he had some viral disease and was contagious. And suddenly, after meeting the Hokage, something had snapped, and she began talking to him... _searching_ for conversation.

Itachi had merely responded and talked back in order to figure out what she was doing. Like his father, he still suspected perhaps there was the slightest chance she was working under cover with the Hokage (it would sort of explain why her attitude towards him changed after the meeting), to try to get some information on the Uchiha Clan. That being said, maybe her smiles and emotions were all tricks. Still, a part of him doubted this would be possible.

There were just so, so many mysteries behind this girl, no? He was starting to understand why his father was never too fond of Harunos' to begin with. Always mysterious, staying in the shadows. And one of the things that made them the most unliked, was the fact that they were good at keeping people out, and keep secrets, well, secrets. Not only that, but their refusal to share secret technqiues, or even use them for that matter (again, slight pacifists they were) angered many, especially the Uchiha Clan, which was all about maintaining stability by showing who the clear dominant force was, by ruling over with power.

Itachi had to admit, maybe the way they had kept things sort of kept Konoha in balance. The Uchiha Clan was always an iffy one, mainly focusing on their wants and needs, not about Konohas. Uchihas, mainly looked more like a threat if a civil war were ever to arise. Meanwhile, the Haruno Clan was clearly the most dominant, and loyal to Konoha, but tended to keep to themselves with no usual interaction, making them a mystery to any and all who tried to pry information away from them. Over all, they were the source many relied on, but nobody trusted. And then, after all that, there were other clans, such as the Hyuugas, Aburames, Naras, Inuzukas, Yamanakas, and so on and so forth, the Hyugas, holding a little more power than the others, but less than the Haruno and Uchiha. Now the Hyugas were in all, a different story. Fully devoted to Konoha, no secrets whatsoever. Ideal clan everyone trusted and relied on.

So in all of this, there was a balace, between obviously, the bad (Uchiha), the good (Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame, etc), and the neutral (Haruno).

Oh, as Itachi had learned, there was quite a big deal to this political benefit and such.

Now that the Harunos were out of the way, the Uchiha Clan clearly had the upper hand. Not only did they make up the police force, giving them a great deal of power, but they were also the larger clan (only falling short when it came against the Aburame). Still, they didn't like looking too suspicious in the eyes of other clans and especially not the Hokage. Alas, it could not have been avoided, thanks to the whole Kyuubi incident.

As far as Itachi could tell, there would be a civil war because the balance had been disturbed.

And he clearly knew who the victor would turn out to be...

* * *

Things were particularly quite for the whole trip, from dawn til dusk. It was relatively the same the next day as well, besides the fact that Kakashi, once setting up the campsite the second day, had finished his book. So, initially, after having nothing better to do, he put his book away and stared around him, and the two teens before him. Okay... who to start a conversation with... the guy he knew for a year or so now, but was socially-constipated and would most likely only reply with one-syllable answers, or the girl he knew nothing about, barely met, and seemed to have an active temper that could turn on him at any given moment...?

"So... Haruno, you said" Kakashi was the one to start the conversation.

Sakura, momentarily putting down her chopsticks, looked up. "Sakura Haruno at your service" she nodded slowly.

"How'd you manage to survive?" Kakashi was blunt and to the point.

"I was away at a mission."

(Itachi noticed she didn't flinch, only fueling to prove him right some more.)

"Ahh... were you upset?"

"Oh no, by all means. I actually felt kind of giddy recieving a message by hawk saying that my whole clan had been annihilated." One didn't need to be a genius to hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"How'd you deal?"

"Nothing a few days of crying and not eating, along with a lot of mental growing couldn't handle" And it had been true, for the most part. That had been how Sakura's younger self had dealt.

"And now?"

"What do you mean now?" Sakura questioned.

"Any future goals in life? Maybe reconstructing your clan or something?" Kakashi questioned.

Sakura shrugged. "I'll do whatever comes my way, I guess." She wasn't particularly looking for a mate right now. Technically, she was only twelve (and even at 18 the thought of reconstructing hadn't even been brought up in her mind), so why would she think of that now?

"I hear you are very popular with the boys." Kakashi stated, almost as if saying she could take her pick.

"What, impossible." Sakura said while shaking her hands in a you-are-crazy manner.

"What do you mean, before we left a saw a few genin give you some weird looks, of course I wouldn't blame them." Kakashi said with a smirk on his face, of course, you couldn't really see it.

"Oh please, save it for someone blonde enough to fall for that, Kakashi" she rolled her eyes. "Besides, if they were staring at me, it's most likely because of the hair" Sakura had gotten that often. Yeah sure, she was I guess you could say pretty, but nothing that would make men stop and heads turn... no, the real beauty in Sakura was in her intelligence and kindness, an attribute boys her age (12) would not look for now...

"Well I can see how you can draw that conclusion." Kakashi smiled an amused smile. "So, no thoughts about a guy to help the rebuilding of the clan?" he cut back into the whole Haruno Clan bussiness.

"No" Sakura snapped, irritated slightly. Had she not just made it clear she was not interested in any guy? "Why, you open for suggestions?" she decided to play along.

"Well, I hear there's an Inuzuka around your age." he smirked. "Then again, there's always Itachi here." he slapped Itachi playfully on the shoulder.

Frankly, Itachi didn't mind the conversation, but he didn't take all too fondly to being dragged into the topic of discussion... especially not when it involved _breeding (_he had enough of that from his father as it was anyway_)._

"Kakashi" Sakura was not the only one to warn him that he was now treading on very dangerous, _delicate _grounds.

"Right..." he chuckled.

"So... ANBU" he tried changing the subject before he found himself hung upside down by his foot on a tree, because of either Itachi or Sakura.

"Yes" Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew he was trying to make up interesting conversations, but he was doing an extremely lousy job at it, to be honest. First he goes all 'interrogation' on her about her clan massacre and how she took it, and then decides _breeding_ of all things is the next best topic, and to add on top of that, mixing _Itachi _in to the equation of all people. And now, at least not a sensitive topic (but a rather boring and obvious one instead), he goes to her ANBU status.

"And umm... twelve..."

"Kakashi, you're a horrible conversation starter" she said bluntly, after having enough of his obvious and embarassing antics. At least now she could say she knew why Kakashi never liked starting conversations or speaking in general when it didn't involve training, or things related to the Shinobi world when it came to her timeline.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "Ahh..." he didn't have much to reply to that. He knew it was true, so why would he try to deny it?

There was silence throughout the camp, each of them having their own train of thought lead them to another world, or at least for the two younger ones of the group. Kakashi was just mainly cursing himself for being stuck in a team with an anti-social Uchiha and a quick-tempered Haruno. _'I should have graduated with my own class.' _Kakashi frowned slightly.

Meanwhile, Sakura was contemplating how today had gone exactly, not that there was much to go on anyway. All they had done was run all day, besides the five minutes of conversation time they had had just now. "Well... I'm retreating to my tent... I call the third shift." she lazily gave them a small wave as she walked off, not bothering to say goodnight, not that either boy minded.

There was silence until Sakura disappeared inside her tent, and Kakashi was sure he could no longer hear them. "Quite a girl she is, that one." Kakashi poked at the fire with a stick.

Itachi didn't bother to respond.

"Is there any particular reason why you were staring at her?"

"I was not staring at her." Kakashi could swear Itachi almost snapped at him.

"I just saw you doing it." Kakashi countered

"You're delusional, Kakashi." Itachi dismissed the topic, getting up suddenly and disappearing towards the forest. "I'll get the second shift." and yes, just because he was mad at Kakashi, he made him take the shift.

_'So close'_

In all honesty, Itachi was just staring at Sakura, as if trying to calculate her move, or see what she would respond to Kakashi -there had been no other meaning for it, like how he _knew _Kakashi was insinuating inside that perverse brain of his. Then again, if he were being rational, had it been any other thirteen year old, hormonal teen staring at Sakura the way he had been (intent staring), then one _would _most likely think him infatuated with said girl.

This though, was not the case.

_Time Skip_

It was currently the middle of the night, and things could not go by any slower, Itachi dutifully starting his shift as the look out, Kakashi lazily tossing himself alongside him and almost instantly falling asleep. With one last quiet breath and closed eyes, he heaved himself up and exited his tent (mind you, as loudly as possible, still rather irritated by Kakashi's comment). He passed by Sakura's tent and, oddly enough, heard whimpering. Then again, if he remembered correctly, this had not exactly been the first time she had done so.

In fact, he had heard it just the other day, while waking up early in the morning to start his training. She had been whimpering, sometimes muttering words every now and then, though most uncomprehensible. He didn't have to wonder too much to think of what exactly could plaque her dreams often, this day in particular too. Kakashi had, after all, brought it up in such a blunt way that even to her, who seemed to emit a never ending ray of sunshine, would hurt. Still, Itachi had to give her one thing: she had done a good job hiding the pent up emotions once he brought up the subject of her clan annihilation.

_Would he be the same way too?_

Itachi walked away and sat on a large, smooth rock about fifteen feet away from Sakura's tent, admiring the scenery before him. His... _mission_...

What was to become of him?

Of his clan?

Of Sasuke...

Should he really go through with this...?

His shift finished sooner than he had expected, having wasted all his time thinking about things.

Walking back to his tent, it was no surprise to hear Sakura whimpering once more along the way. The thought of waking her up hadn't really occured through his mind, even though a small part of him wanted to ask her about this 'nightmare' of hers, curiosity getting the best of him. In all truth, he wanted to know if this would perhaps be something he would experience as well.

His mind let slip the fact that it was indeed Sakura's turn to watch over the campsite, but he instead returned to his own tent with Kakashi.

Surely, if there were any intruders, they would all sense them in a heartbeat... there hadn't really been a point of a guard...

**End of Chapter!**

I hope you liked it! **REVIEW PLEASE**

**AGAIN… I'M SORRY IF YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT YOU WANTED FOR THE VOTES BUT MAJORITY WINS!**

**Next Chapter: Sakura's Dream, and the Truth**

_**IMPORTANT! READ PLEASE**_

_Spoiler!: Sakura's 'dream' or 'nightmare' will have to do with her clans death._

_If you guys have any suggestion on HOW Sakura's clan died or got assassinated, tell me… I have an idea but it might not be the BEST idea…. That's why I am open for suggestions!_

_ALSO! I would like to thank the following people for voting/reviewing! Also… 1 or 2 reviewers (preferred, 2 females) will get to be part of the next 1 or 2 chapters as Sakura's sister, and Sakura's best friend… of course… the ooc's will have deaths :o_

If you're interested in these ooc's…. please tell me. This does not mean you cannot have another ooc trough out the next chapters though… If no1 is interested that I'll just make them up.

Okay… back to the tank you's xD

_**HpMagicLuvr**_

_**HyuugaAngel**_

_**And…**_

_**Freak-4-God**_

_**For voting again!**_

_**ALSO! A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWER EARTHLOVER!**_*gives earthlover more cookies* hehe. She has currently inspired me to update this sooner than I would have ^^ I was planning to wait for a few more votes but her review totally pumped me up.

**FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER…**

I need 2 wait for that 1 spoiler/question to get some suggestions/advice for the next chapter….

Also… I need to know if you want to be oc's =o.

**IF THOSE LISTED ABOVE…**

Comes fast… So will the next chapter... I have a little bit of it started…. But not too much…

Comes slow… it will take me a while to update again like it took for this chapter (I was pretty much **1 WHOLE WEEK OFF!** Of the date at had actually planned all because of the voting…

**IMPORTANT AGAIN… Authors talk… if you don't care then skip… but its important for me… and it has some info… for next ch. (not spoiler though)**

I am having some very important tests, and a lot of homework these next few weeks because of my damn teacher . I probably will update in 2 weeks or more because I need to make sure I pass my very important test in language arts, and also, that I keep my score average… (GPA)…

As long as my 4.0 well, stays a 4.0 I will be able to update much sooner that I could ever… My problem is science… I am very close from getting a B+! . My family is strict don't blame me. So, I may not be able to update very soon because of school, and the votes/questions/suggestion…. Whatever u want 2 call those 2.

**IF YOU HAVE BEEN READING SO FAR.. THANK YOU… LETS ME KNOW YOU CARE ^.^ now… I bid you my farewells ****.**

**-MarzSpy**

_**Revised**_


	8. Sakura's Dream and the Truth

**Hello!!! My next chapter!!!**

**Chapter 8: Sakura's Dream and the Truth**

Sakura was currently having a hard time sleeping. She was having 'that' dream again. It was a dream that always haunted her since she was a child. It was a dream where she lived happily with her family. Her REAL family, not her adoptive parents. It was there, in that dream that Sakura would see her whole clan vanish all in 1 night.

_IN HER DREAM_

Her main family was her sister, her mom, dad, and herself. She lived in a big manor, similar to the Uchiha's but most of their manor was surrounded by beautiful plants, flowers, and trees. Sakura had always lived a happy life inside that house. She mostly hung out with her older sister, or her best friend. Though, she would sometimes just do nothing with her parents.

Everyone over there was nice. There were never problems, or conflicts. Everyone loved everyone, and there was always peace there.

Her mom's name was Ayame(1) and she had emerald eyes with blue hair. She was considered very beautiful.

Her sister's name was Marika(2) and she was currently 13. She had light pink hair like Sakura's hair, but blue hair all let down. She was currently a pretty powerful Jounin, and she was admired by many boys her age. Her blue hair was from her dad, and the pink eyes from her mom since her mom was the 1 that came from the Haruno Clan.

She was a master and genjutsu's, but then again, so were all Haruno's. It was what they were best at. After all, their Kekkai Genkai played a big role in their mastery of genjutsus'.

Marika liked training with her team and spending time with Sakura. But of course, her being a girl meant she also loved parties or any event that gave her a good reason to get dressed up.

She hated seeing Sakura cry because she was being picked on. But sadly, she could not do anything about it. Her strict father said that Sakura needed to toughen up if she ever wanted to be a successful ninja. But what she hated more than that, was what her father was trying to do.

She hated being the eldest child. She hated it because, she needed to marry a strong person. Her father was making Marika go on arranged dates to see who would be the best husband-to-be. And she was only 13 years of age! Sakura too had to do the same. But, there was way more responsibility on her.

Her best friend's name was Himawari(3) and they were only a few months apart from each other, Sakura being older. She had hot pink eyes and silver hair with pink high lights worn is short curly pigtails with bangs to the side. She got her silver hair from her mom, while she got her pink from the usual Haruno Clan. It was like their symbol. All Haruno's had either pink, blue, or emerald eyes or hair.

Himawari was not considered a girly girl, but not a tomboy either. She loved playing dress up, coloring, music, bunnies and all, but she also LOVED fighting and playing with swords. Her mom totally disapproved of that side, but of course, her dad loved it and said that she was a "true Haruno". All Haruno's were skilled fighters like it or not. It was in their blood. All were skilled at genjutsus', but those who were blessed with the true power of sword fighting were considered very powerful.

Himawari though, as powerful as she could be, had 1 weakness. She hated anything sharp, like needles. Including bees, wasps, etc. She just had a natural fear for them. But also, she hated seeing her best friend crying or being sad.

A lot of little kids picked on Sakura because of her 'big forehead', and her unnatural 'pink hair'. Himawari would have been teased too, but she had the type of personality that would not put up with it. With her big temper, she shut them up… forever. But they only stopped teasing her, but not Sakura.

Himawari would try hard, but since she was not always with Sakura, she could not protect her. Himawari started training early. She was sort of like Itachi, if she had ever survived, she would have been ANBU at around age 14.

It was Himawari's duty to protect Sakura when they grew up.** (A/N: You know, like Neji was to protects Hinata? :O) **That's why Himawari was always over protective when it came to Sakura. Sakura didn't mind though, not one bit. It was said that Sakura's kekkai genkai was more powerful than average and many enemy countries would soon have their eyes on her power.

Outside of the main household of the Haruno Clan, were other households where other Haruno's would live. The closer you were to the center meant the more power or authority you had in the clan. Himawari's dad, was actually Sakura's dad's cousin. Meaning he too had a lot of power.

Sakura was currently too young to start training, though secretly she would train with her elder cousin, but nothing too serious. Just a few kunai throwing, and maybe a few simple jutsu's. Her elder cousin's name was Hiroto and he was currently a jounin. He was 15 years old and he was Himawari's older brother. He had black hair with dark pink eyes.

One peaceful night, Sakura was walking down the hallway of her house when she heard a blood curling scream. Sakura recognized the scream as her mother's and she followed the sound to where her mother was. There, she saw her mom with a katana threw her heart. Holding the katana was a man Sakura did not know. He had a forehead protector with the symbol of the mist.

_A Few Minutes Ago_

A man appeared behind Ayame with a kunai to her throat. "I knew you would be coming soon. I have been waiting for you. I saw your arrival a few months ago. I knew this would be the end for me." Ayame stated standing straight. There was no fear in her eyes or voice. She showed courage, much to the enemy's displeasure. "That's nice to know. Now tell me, where is she. If you knew we were coming, you surely knew what we were after. Or more importantly, _who_, now don't you?" The man said while inching the kunai a little closer to her neck making it bleed a little.

"Why would I ever tell you. Why would I give you my precious daughter? So you can use her as a weapon? I'd rather die 100 times before I ever give her up to the likes of you." Ayame said as she disappeared from the man's grasp on her neck.

She appeared a few feet away from him and was in a fighting stance. Ayame was at a major disadvantage. She was currently wearing a kimono. All women in the clan who were married or were not ninja were to wear some type of kimono. Her second disadvantage was that she currently had no weapons, while her enemy had plenty. She could also tell her opponent was very powerful, she could feel his power from the chakra leaking from his body.

"Do you really think you could defeat me you silly woman?" The man said while getting a katana out it's place. "No, but I could at least try." Ayame said. "You are very foolish. As I speak now, many of my men are attacking you clan. By the end of the night, all of your people will be taken out, leaving only your precious little daughter." The man said laughing in an evil manner.

"Why would you do this? We did nothing to you, why do you seek for power?" Ayame said as realization hit her. She was going to die, and nothing she could do would stop the fact. As long as her daughter was safe. As long as she knew Sakura would not have to follow her fate, she would die happy.

"Me? Your clan betrayed us. You used to live in the mist hundreds of years ago. You were the most powerful there but you just left us. You betrayed us! With your daughter's power, we will restore the former power of the land hidden in the mist! If we at least have her, we can take her to Mist and raise her there. Soon, your daughter will marry and she will stay with us in Mist and recreate the Haruno Clan!" The man said maniacally.

"My clan left because Mist planned to use us to create war in the lands! We love nothing more than peace and wish it could be that way. We did not want to be the cause of a revolutionary war. That was why we left. To prevent any further disaster that could have been!" Ayame said holding back tears. She knew her time was coming to an end.

"Even so, with you guys, we could have conquered the world!" the man said accusingly.

"What is the true purpose of conquering the world?! What good will it do?! Will it really make you happy?! Power in the hands of people like you only create hurt and damage to others. That's why we Haruno's will never go with you guys. You guys only care about yourselves and no one else!" Ayame said.

"It is fine if you think that way. You won't be living for long anyways." The man said with an evil smirk. And with that, he stabbed the katana through her heart.

_Back To Present_

"Okaa-san!" Sakura yelled as she ran to her mother's side. "S-Sakura you must r-run. Go t-to a safe p-place. F-Find help, after t-this you will b-be the only o-one left t-to carry out o-our n-name." Her mom said slowly while coughing up blood. Just speaking hurt her to no end. "Okaa-san, no you can't leave me! I love you please don't go!"

"F-Find H-Himawari-chan, and g-go to the H-Hokage-sama. T-Tell him w-what is happening. T-Take any other y-young you c-can. Y-You must n-not let t-the clan d-die out. T-The fate of o-our clan d-depends on you. B-But don't worry, our p-precious Fate is w-with you. Remember, I l-love you, and when y-you truly need m-me, I will c-come helo y-you." Ayame said. She quickly gave Sakura a kiss on her forehead before she started to close her eyes and drift into a deep sleep….forever.

"Kaa-san, Kaa-san! You can't die, not yet!" Sakura yelled as she buried her head on her mother chest hugging her as hard as she could.

"Sorry for your loss, but you must come with me Haruno-sama." The man said while going towards Sakura. Sakura remembered her mother's words and ran. She ran towards Himawari's house. On her way she saw people running and heard more blood curling screams. Sakura was scared, she didn't know what was happening, but she did know 1 thing._ She had to get out now._ She didn't know what they wanted, but she had to make sure she survived, to fulfill her mom's wish.

Sakura tried not to think about it, but instead tried to accomplish her goal and finish her mom's last wish. First she had to find Himawari.

"Himawari-chan! Where are you, speak to me!" Sakura yelled hoping she would get some sort of sign from her best friend. She had no clue what to do. People were running, children were crying, blood was being spilt. "Sakura-chan, I'm over here, Sakura-chan!" Sakura heard Himawari scream.

Sakura ran to where she heard her voice. "Himawari-chan, it's horrible, they killed my mom, he tried to get me they want to kill u-" Sakura was cut off. "Sakura, I know, but we have to get out of here. I'm only a genin but we need to stick together. I might be able to get us somewhere safe." Himawari cut her off.

"But we need to safe all the children we possibly can, mom, mom said to save the, the children." Sakura said at the verge of tears as she remembered what had happened to her mom. "We'll grab as many as we can on our way, now hurry, if we stay here much longer we might die!" Himawari said as she grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her towards their destination.

On their way they managed to find 3 4-year-old's; 2 male, 1 girl. They also managed to find a baby. Suddenly a man appeared in front of them and was about to attack the little girl but Hiroto appeared out of nowhere and stabbed the guy from behind.

"Hiroto-niisan, we need to get Sakura-chan out of here now!" Himawari said. "Do you have any place in mind?" Hiroto quickly answered as he took out another guy who tried to attack from behind. "There is 1. It is a place that only me and Sakura know of. "Okay, you guys go, I'll follow. I'll stay behind to make sure we're not being followed by seeting up a genjutsu." Hiroto said.

"Why are they after me, why are you guys trying to protect me?!" Sakura pleaded. She didn't understand, any of it. "We'll tell you later Sakura-chan." Himawari said. "You know too?" Sakura asked in disbelief. "Yes, I do, but I will explain to you everything after we find a safe place to hide." Himawari said.

Sakura didn't understand. Why were they after her, and why was it so important they protect her. She was hurt that Himawai, her best friend, knew why, but had never told her anything about it. What could be so special about Sakura that she needed protecting? Sakura didn't have time now to ponder, first, she needed to get the children to safety, then she could ask questions.

Sakura and Himawari headed to the back garden of the Haruno's private training ground. Near the training ground, there was a beautiful garden that went on for about 200 meters. Sakura headed towards the garden and went past about 125 meters of the garden. There she went in the middle of the garden and sort of disappeared behind a bush.

The kids were shocked at what just happened. "Don't worry, that's how we get to out secret hiding place." Himawari assured them. The kids nodded and went ahead. Himawari grabbed the baby and headed under the bush after the kids. Hiroto went last to make sure no one was following them. They were currently underground now. The hole was big enough so that Sakura and Himawari didn't have to duck, but Hiroto did.

After about 15 minutes of walking the hole disappeared and they found themselves in front of a big lake surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. "Zugoi! What is this place?" One of the children asked. "I found it when I was about your age. I felt like something strong was calling me here and I followed the voice inside my head." Sakura said as she went to the field in front of her and twirled around in her bright green dress.

Momentarily forgetting what just happened Sakura gave them a bright smile, but it was soon replaced with a very sad smile. "Why are they after me?" Sakura asked. "It's because of your power." Hiroto said appearing from the bushes.

"My power?" Sakura asked confused. "Your Kekkai Genkai is said to be the most powerful in the whole clan since 400 years ago. It is either the same, or even more powerful than 'her' power." Hiroto said. "Who is 'her'?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Her name was Kikyou(4). She resembled you in a way too. Kikyou was said to be the most powerful Haruno in her time. And some also said no one else would ever surpass her because her power was so great. She had pink hair just like yours and emerald eyes as well, though hers were a bit darker.

"What happened to her?" Sakura asked. "She killed herself." Himawari said sadly. "That's terrible, why did she do such a thing?" Sakura said with a gasp.

"Well, you see, a revolt similar to this, but much greater happened along time ago. Other countries were afraid of the threat mist was bringing. Rain of course wanted the power. The current lord of mist wanted her to marry the powerful, to make an even more powerful baby. But at the same time, Mist was getting attacks because other powerful clans also wanted Kikyou to themselves either for her power, or her great beauty.

What Kikyou truly wanted was that all lands live in peace. But the clan leaders after her shut her up and decided they would hold a tournament. The winner would be able to claim her as theirs.

Kikyou was saddened because they thought of her as a tool. But there was 1 shinobi. He was of no powerful clan or anything. And he actually saw Kikyou as a person, and not a tool to use.

She decided she would help him win the tournament because she had fallen for him. It turned out that shinobi was from Konoha and soon after he won the tournament, she and the whole clan moved into Konoha not only because Mist still wanted her for war, but also because Konoha was safer and more peaceful.

But even after the tournament was over, people refused to give her up. So much destruction and chaos pursued Konoha because they held the 1 thing they wanted, Kikyou. Kikyou was so enraged and saddened. It seemed that no matter what, she would never be left in peace.

She killed herself in hope that everything would finally stop. Her final words were "I hope everyone can live peacefully now, I am sorry for what I have caused" and with that she took a kunai to the heart.

But before she did kill herself, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. And that girl was your great, great, great grandmother." Hiroto said.

"It was said since you were born that you were the reincarnation of Kikyou. The Haruno Legend says that Kikyou was upset she never had a real chance to live a good life and that she would return someday to claim that life she should have had 400 years ago. So now, it seems you are her reincarnation and it seems like history is repeating itself. But this time, it will be different, bet on it." Hiroto said giving Sakura a Naruto-like smile with a thumbs up.

"S-So you're t-telling me this, t-this whole t-thing, it happened, b-because of m-me?" Sakura stuttered out as tears started forming in her eyes.

"Sadly yes Sakura-chan, but it is important that you survive, without you, there will be no one to lead the clan." Himawari said grabbing hold of Sakura's hands. "Why can't somebody else do it?! Why not you Hiroto-kun, or you Himawari-chan?" Sakura said.

"Because, we are not true heirs. "But Marika-chan is the true heir. OH NO, where is Marika-chan?!" Sakura said as she panicked. She could not stand it if Marika were to die.

"I sent her a message, she should be arriving soon, don't worry, she's strong enough to handle herself." Hiroto assured while patting her shoulder. "Anyways, if there ever is a more powerful member of the clan in the main family, that person must become heir, meaning, you Sakura-chan." Hiroto said.

"But I'm only 5 years old, I can't run my whole clan, my parents just died, the whole clan might be dead, I can't take it!" Sakura said as she got down on her knees and cried.

Just then Marika came out of the bushes. "YOU NEED TO GO NOW! SOMEONE FOLLOWED ME HERE!" Marika said as soon as she caught her breath. "Marika-neechan, are you alright?" Sakura said as she went and hugged Marika while wiping away her tears. "I'm okay, but most importantly, you need to get out of here, now!

"No! Not without you guys!" Sakura said. "We need to stall, you have to get to the Hokage-sama to make sure you are safe!" Himawari said taking out a kunai. "Himawari, you are to take the children to a safe place, there will be no fighting for you." Hiroto said taking her kunai. "Nii-chan, I can fight!" Himawari said.

"Last time I checked, you were only a genin. Now be prepared for your first B-ranked mission. Get these children to safe-" Hiroto was cut off when 5 figures came out of the bushes. "Found you guys, took as forever to follow this girl, especially since she was trying to lose us, but we didn't fall for that clone." 1 of the man said. Hiroto immediately pushed Himawari down just in time. A few seconds later and a kunai would have been stuck in her heart.

"RUN NOW" Hiroto commanded Sakura. "Not so fast young missy." A 2nd man said as he trapped Sakura by holding her down. Marika stabbed the guy with a kunai in the arm. Enough to make him let go.

Just then Hiroto made some hand signs so fast. "Sakura, I'm transporting you to the Hokage-sama's office. Please, stay with him at all times, do not leave him." Hiroto said almost finishing the handseals.

"STOP HIM NOW!" 1 of the ninja said going after Hiroto. He was about to use a fire jutsu on Hiroto but Marika used a water jutsu and blocked it right before it hit Hiroto.

Sakura then felt herself being lifted by what seemed like a bubble. "Hiroto, Marika Himawari! Don't! Come with me you guys!" Sakura pleaded as she pounded the bubble with her fists. Sakura was raised higher and higher until she could see her clan's estate. She did not like what she saw whatsoever.

Everything was on fire, people were laying on the floor, children were crying hugging their parents. Some people were killing the remaining children. It was horrible. Sakura closed her eyes shut and turn her head back to her sister and her 2 cousins. They were all tiny by that time and she could not tell which was which.

She saw 1 getting stabbed, than another, followed by yet another. Then she heard a blood curling scream. It sounded like a girl. So know she knew who it had to be. It was either Marika, Himawari, or the girl they found on their way there.

Sakura started to cry once more. Her who life was falling apart all because of some stupid power she had. "If this is what power causes, I want no part of it. But, if power can also help those in need, I will help whoever possible." Sakura said.

It was true that because of power that her whole clan was killed and most of her life was ruined. But it was also power that had created such a beautiful nation such as Konoha. It was power that could help those in need. It was power that can cause people happiness, even just the tiniest bit. Was power all that evil? Or was power something that depends on the user?

**END OF CHAPTER!!!**

_WOOOOO this took me a long time to make up and right so I would appreciate if you would review and tell me if you liked the suspense!!!_

**Now for what those (#'s) meant at the end of their name. It has a meaning. Every female name I chose meant a flower… Why I did that will be explained in future chapters**

**1) Ayame - Iris**

**2) Marika - Jasmine**

**3) Himawari – Sun Flower**

**4) Kikyou - Bellflower**

I would like to thank___**eathlover**_ and_**hyuugalove001**_ for volunteering to be the sister and best friend!!

**QUESTION TIME AGAIN!!!** (don't you just love them? :D)

**Q#1: Do you want any of her Clan to survive and appear in the future/present w/e it is? Or in later chapters if I can make it work?**

**Q#2: Which members of her clan should survive if any do?**

**a) Himawari c) Marika e) All of the above**

**b) Hiroto d) The children f) All of the Above + a few more people**

**g) None**

**Q#3: Do you get tired of my question all the time? (D:)**

**Yes **

**No**

**Maybe**

**That is all!! Hehe**

**Next Chapter: Sakura's Dream and the Truth Part 2**

**p.s. these next few chapter with her dream and all will be pretty sad ******** also… you will find out the truth about….. dun dun dun… who Inner Sakura REALLY is…. If you read closely =0 if you figure it out tell me and you'll get…. A cookie :D and I'll give put a list on the next…next chapter on who got it right….**

**There is 1 think that gives it away…. But I'll put more description in it :O can you already guess who she is though :o if you can… you'll get your name on the next chapter… ******


	9. Sakura's Dream and the Truth Part 2

**Hello!!! Next chapter is out :D **

**I'm sorry it took me longer to update D: I was 2 days late but o'well, I got it done right? :o**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (I wish I did! But if I did…. Sakura would be with Itachi lolz :/)**

**Chapter 9: Sakura's Dream and the Truth Part 2**

Sakura was almost traumatized. Everyone she knew, everyone she loved, all gone in one night. All dead in less than 3 hours.

She was currently in the Konoha hospital with nurses checking her body to see if she had any major injuries. She had a few scratches and bruises but nothing more than that.

Everywhere she looked, she saw ANBU and jounin. Was she really that important?

Sakura couldn't believe all this happened. Just yesterday she was the weak little 5 year old all the little kids not from her clan made fun of. Now, she was supposedly the most powerful ninja in her clan since over 400 years ago and supposedly she was the 'reincarnation' of the one and only Haruno Kikyou. One of the most powerful shinobi ever known to be.

Sakura just stared blankly at nothing really. She just stared at the ceiling wondering what would happen to her now. She had to start fresh. No more mother, or father, no sister, or cousins. No… anybody. She was all alone. No one could ever understand how she ever felt.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura was probably like Sasuke in many ways. That was probably why she said she 'loved' Sasuke.

Because he felt her pain. Because he knew how bad it hurt to have EVERYTHING and then… for it to suddenly disappear all in 1 night. And to also have been THERE, and not have been able to do ANYTHING…. whatsoever.

To be so young when it happened. To be claimed to be so POWERFUL… but then again, to have been so weak and defenseless at the same time. To be praised and admired by many, but to feel themselves not worth of being praised or admired by other Harunos' or Uchihas'.

But then she realized, they were very different at the same time too. Not just in 1 way, but in many.

Sasuke's clan had not been murdered because of HIM. It was not HIS fault his entire clan was murdered. Sakura's clan HAD been murdered all for the cause of 'reconstructing it'. It WAS Sakura's fault her clan died.

Sasuke had chosen the path of revenge towards the murderer of his clan. Sakura had not. She chose the right path. She chose the path where she would help others with her power instead of causing more pain for others.

Sasuke abandoned his friends on purpose, including his best friend and someone who could have been the love of his life. Sakura too abandoned her best friend, but not because she wanted to. She abandoned them forcefully. If it was her choice, Sakura would have stayed there, and died with her entire clan holding Himawari closely. Dying with a smile on her face, she would have known she would be happy because she would still be with Himawari and her whole clan, up in the heavens.

That was where they were different. They were so alike, but so different at the same time.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Sakura-san, Sakura-san?" the nurse that was expecting her said. "H-Hai?" Sakura said sad tone imminent in her voice. "The Hokage-sama would like to speak to you. Would you like to be brought there or do you want the Hokage to come here?" The nurse asked.

_**(Sakura's POV)**_

_There it is again. They think I can't take care of myself, they think I'm weak. If I'm so weak why am I the 1 still alive?!_** Calm down kid.**_ Who is that?_** I am your inner. I am here to make you stronger.**_ Can you really make me stronger?_** You can bet on that. **

**Now, stop thinking you are weak. If you think like that, you WILL become weak. If you have a strong will and a spirit to fight, you will be able to get there. **

**You will be able to protect everyone you couldn't now. Okay? So just cheer up, give them that big smile, and show courage. You cannot be put down by this. It is just a bump in the rode we call life.**_ You sound so confident, right now, I don't have that confidence._

**That's why I'm here, so just cheer up alre-**_Shut up! Can't you be understanding?! I just lost everyone, everyone I knew, everyone I loved everyone i-_** Okay now you shut up this time. Do you think the world has enough time to stop and take pity on you just because your family died?! **

**This has happened to many people before! Do you think I-Kikyou gave up so easily when people died? No, she kept trying!**_ She ended up killing herself at the end!_** That was because she had no alternative!**_ If I am her 'reincarnation', as Hiroto-kun seemed to put it, and I have her same power, why can't I just kill myself?_

**Because, you can choose another path right now. You have a bright future ahead of you. You haven't even began to fight for yourself and your freedom from your horrid power.**_ Are you kidding me? Most of everyone I knew died and now you're telling me to keep going?_

**Do you want other people to go through what you have tonight? **_No bu-_** No buts. You said you wanted to make sure no one had to suffer life this!** **You said you would try to help people in need! **

**Kikyou did her best to make people happy! She tried with all her might to help people! Do you think you are doing just that by simply giving up?!**_ …No._** Then get your lazy ass up and fight. Fight for your friends, your family, and for your future friends and family. You cannot give up!**

_You know, you're a good motivator._** Thanks, I try. Now speak up to the nurse, you've been spacing out for at least 5 minutes and she's starting to go a little crazy.**_ Umm, okay, thanks anyways. Will I ever see you again?_** Bet on it sweety.**

**(End of POV)**

"Sakura-san, Sakura-san, are you okay?" the nurse said now starting to panic. She was starting to think Sakura was in a comma. She wasn't moving, she wasn't blinking. She just laid there and spaced out.

"H-Hai. I will go to the Hokage." Sakura said moving a little trying to get up. "Okay, wait a minute." The nurse said as she headed towards some ANBU outside of her hospital room. She soon came back with 6 ANBU.

"These ANBU here will be escorting you to the Hokage's office." The nurse said. "Hai. Can you please do something for me before I leave?" Sakura asked the nurse. "H-Hai." The nurse said hesitantly.

"If Himawari-chan, Marika-neechan, or Hiroto-kun survive, please inform me right away." Sakura said with hope in her eyes. "H-Hai, I will. I'm sure someone will still be alive" The nurse said a bit sadly but showing Sakura a fake smile. "Hai thank you." Sakura said giving the nurse a small smile and following the ANBU out the door.

**(Nurse's POV)**

I feel so sorry for her. I can't believe she may actually think anyone survived. Even if almost all our available squads are over there searching, the chances of any other Haruno is almost down to 5 percent. I can't believe this girl is not traumatized by everything that happened.

I feel bad for lying to her, but I just can't bring myself to tell her they might all be dead. It would break her poor little heart. It's best she doesn't find out now, though she most likely will find out by the end of the week when no one shows up.

**(End of Nurse's POV)**

_Time Skip_

Sakura was currently walking to the Hokage's office. There were currently 5 ANBU surrounding her. They were all stoic and showed no sign of being human beings at all. All they did was walk, and keep on high alert.

Sakura was starting to get annoyed with all the silence but she didn't say anything, they would probably ignore her anyways.

They got to the Hokage's office a few minutes shortly. Sakura entered his office and the ANBU stayed behind waiting outside the door. It seemed they would keep following her until told otherwise.

As soon as Sakura got comfortable in a chair the Hokage started speaking.

"Sakura-san, as you may know, a tragic incident has happened not only to your clan, but also to Konoha. All available jounin and ANBU were searching the Haruno estate for any survivors or more enemies. The incident began 10 hours ago. **(A/N: it was currently 12:00 when the assassination happened to so now it was currently 10:00.) **There are currently no more enemies here. All ANBU and jounin checked more than 10 times and they couldn't sense anyone. It is pretty much safe, but we must take precautions just in case." The Hokage said.

"D-Did any of my clan survive?" Sakura said with hope in her eyes. "I'm afraid not. We haven't found a single body that has made it yet."

"I see." Sakura said looking down in sadness. She was trying not to cry. She knew if 1 tear fell down, that 1 tear would cause another, and another, and soon, the tears would not stop coming down.

"What about Marika-neechan? Himawari-chan? Or Hiroto-ku-." "Sakura, no one has survived. We identified all the bodies, but we could not find their bodies including a few children, and another 16 year old ANBU. It seems they were taken hostage. I doubt they survived, they were only Jounin, Chunin, and Genin. And most of the Haruno's that were ANBU's died. It is not very likely that they did." The Hokage said.

"No, how can this be. Hiroto-kun said things wouldn't be the same, he said history wouldn't repeat itself! He was supposed to live! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Sakura said as she broke down into tears.

"Sakura, I know how you must feel, but you must stay strong, to full fill what your clan must have wanted you to do, to make sure the Haruno Clan survives. You have the power to do so, you and your Kekkai Genkai." The Hokage said.

"I-It won't w-work, I d-don't know h-how to use my K-Kekkai G-Genkai." Sakura said within tears.

"Well, the true power of your Kekkai Genkai was locked away, only known to the Haruno's and were only told to them after they became Jounin or unless it was necessary for them to know. But, the simplest part of your Kekkai Genkai is known to only me." The Hokage said as he folded his hands in front of him.

"W-Well then, what is m-my Kekkai G-Genkai?" Sakura said calming down a little. Just the thought of being able to know her clans power excited her. "Well, from what I know of, you have the same powers as the Sharingan, it is another Kekkai Genkai only the Uchiha Clan has."

"But, it is said that if you are ever controlled by a Kekkai Genkai, and are trapped in an illusion, with the right amount of chakra control, skill, and knowledge, you would be able to take control of their Kekkai Genkai and soon destroy them from the inside if you wanted too.

The person would soon find him or herself trapped and would not be able to stop it. The person could go crazy, or even die. It depends on your intention." The Hokage said.

"Is there anything else about the Kekkai Genkai that you know about?" Sakura asked now done crying… for now.

"Well, there is this 1 other thing about it, but the information is incomplete and the facts might not be correct. But if it is correct, and if you really are the reincarnation of Kikyou and have the same powers as her, your Kekkai Genkai is very powerful." The Hokage said with a smile.

"Power means nothing if you don't know how to control it." Sakura said sadly. She was never too good at anything when it came to fighting with her cousin. She was good at genjutsu, but they never practiced that too much. They focused on taijutsu most of the time.

"Spoken like a true shinobi. You know better than most what power can bring if not properly trained or used for the better. That is why I believe you will make a good kunoichi.

You know things others may not. You have seen things that other could not bear to see. You know what can happen if things are not done correctly. You know death Sakura-san." The Hokage said.

"What good does that do? All it does is make people suffer." Sakura said not getting the point.

"Sakura, by your age, seeing your clan being murdered, it would traumatize people, it could make them kill themselves. It would drive them to the point of insanity. You being here means you have power; sheer will power.

Without will power, you would get nowhere being a ninja. And seeing as you have a lot of it, you WILL make a good ninja, it will just take time." The Hokage said with a small smile.

"You don't get it Hokage-sama, I am traumatized, I do want to kill myself. It's so hard to imagine I will have to live my life all alone." Sakura said making her hands in to fists.

"But you are here now Sakura, I know it must be hard to have lost them. And, If I am correct, your mom gave you a task to complete.

Besides, you will not be alone, you will have everyone in Konoha on your side. As long as you are here, you will never be alone." The Hokage said reassuringly.

"How do you know what my mother said?" Sakura asked curiosity getting the better of her.

"Let's just say your clan had your future planned out before hand."

"So what am I to do now?" Sakura asked.

"You will have a family take care of you. You will start attending the academy soon and you will take extra time with a special ANBU member who will help you control your abilities. She will be from the Uchiha clan since both clans contain similar Kekkai Genkai's."

"A-Arigatou Hokage-sama." Sakura said a bit sadly and unsure.

"Sakura, what's on your mind, you seem troubled?" the Hokage said.

"It's just that… I'm afraid." Sakura said as she got up and went towards the window to look at Konoha. It looked so calm; too calm. You could tell. Something bad had just happened. There was an eerie aura around Konoha.

"Afraid of what Sakura?"

"Afraid of everything. I'm afraid those ninja will come back for me again. I'm afraid no one will be alive after all. I'm afraid that I won't be able to reconstruct my clan. I'm afraid I will be alone after all.

And most of all, I am afraid people will be scared of me. I always just wanted to be like everyone else. I was never able to be so. I was always picked on because of my pink hair. I was too shy to stand up for myself. And now, people will be afraid of me. Too afraid to maybe even look at me face to face." Sakura said as another tear strolled down her cheek.

Just then the sky started crying too. Then, the rain came down harder and harder.

"Sakura, if you live your life with fear, you won't ever know what it feels like to try something new. You won't know what it really feels like to live and love. Everything comes with a risk, and some risks are greater than others.

Those risks create fear, but if you do not step up to those risks, you will not know the real meaning of living life. The Hokage said as he got up as well and walked towards Sakura.

"The skies mourn for you Sakura. They are worried for you. You should not make them worry; let them know you are okay." The Hokage said.

"Thanks Hokage-sama, but I just need some time. May I please visit the Haruno compound? I need to see it with my own eyes" Sakura said with pleading eyes.

The Hokage was hesitant, he knew how much hurt she would have to go through when she saw the ruins and all the dead bodies but he obliged anyways.

She needed to know. Even though she was at such a young age, he knew she had to see it with her own eyes. They could not keep it from her. If she was to reconstruct her clan, she had to know.

"Hai Sakura, when you are done, come back and see me so I can tell you all about the family you will be staying with."

"Hai Hokage-sama." Sakura said as she exited the door trying to hide her tears, even though she was not doing a good job at it.

Sakura finally got out of the Hokage's office and noticed it was still raining. She didn't care though, she walked as if nothing was wrong and went towards her destination; the Haruno Compound. Sakura had talked with the Hokage for quite a while and now it was 12:00 in the afternoon.

As Sakura walked past the crowd she couldn't help but feel hurt.

"Look, they say she is the only Haruno left after the massacre." One lady from the crowd said. "They say she is supposed to reconstruct her whole clan. That is impossible for such a little girl." said another. "She seems like a weak little girl, it's impossible for her." Said yet another woman from the crowd.

She already felt bed and they were just making it even worse. They did know she could hear them right?

Was that what they really thought of her? Sakura's tears grew and she cried more, though she did it silently. The rain was much too loud for anyone to hear her. Sakura tried to ignore them and get past the crowd, but it seemed there was no crowd.

She looked around her and noticed everyone was staying away from her. They ran away from her as if she held some sort of disease. Just as Sakura had suspected, they were afraid of her. She just kept walking while balling her hands into tight fists.

Soon, the murmurs grew more and more and she just couldn't take it anymore. The tears got so bad, they wouldn't stop coming. She started running, she knew not where she was going, but it seemed she was still going to the right destination.

Even though she was exhausted, she never slowed down instead, she ran faster. She didn't want to think about anything. She knew that if she thought about it she would feel like she was all alone, and then everything would just come down on her. All the pain, all the sadness, the agony, the despair, all of it.

She soon got to her clan's compound. It didn't have the same lively and peaceful aura as it did before. Instead it had a dreadful and eerie aura. She was afraid. But then she remembered what the Hokage said, she had to do it. She slowly walked up to the compound.

_In the Haruno Compound_

Everything was destroyed, there was blood everywhere and the stench of the dead did not help. But she kept going, she had to. She came to the center of the compound, her home, she looked around, bodies were everywhere, she wanted to tear her eyes away from them, but she couldn't.

Her people, her people were dead, lying on the floor. She wanted to scream in horror, but she just wouldn't make a sound, even if she did, no one would hear her. There was no one, except for all the dead bodies. She was now alone in the struggle to fight for her clan.

And then something whispered in her mind, if she tried she would fail, and everyone would be disappointed in her, she was afraid. The voice told her she would fail, it told her she was weak and she could not handle it.

She wanted someone to help her, to show her the way and to be by her side. She just wanted to give up and lie down. She stood there, in the rain almost going crazy, was the voice really right?

Then another voice spoke in her mind. It told her to stand tall and to stand her ground. It told her she had to be brave when everything seemed to be crashing down. To stand through the pain; she wouldn't die. And if she never gave up, that 1 thing that was lost would soon be found.

She would find her clan again. She would be able to reconstruct it. She would find Himawari, Marika, and Hiroto. She would find everyone who did manage to survive. She would surely find them.

But Sakura took a look around her, the pain didn't seem to go away. She stood there in silence trying to figure out how the pain would go away. She would never be able to move forward if the pain didn't ease down.

Sakura realized, the only way to get over the fact that everyone was gone, was if she let it all out, not little by little like she was currently doing.

Sakura got down on her knees and she screamed. She screamed like she had never screamed before. She screamed for her family, her friends, and most importantly, for herself. She screamed in agony, and in despair.

_Time Skip_

Soon, her throat was sore, and she couldn't scream anymore, but she was not done, she still felt the guilt inside her. She could still feel the pain in her damaged heart. She started crying and screaming more. She didn't care if it hurt, she needed it now more than ever.

_Time Skip_

Sakura was currently walking slowly to the Hokage's office she was tired, cold, wet, and exhausted. It was probably about 7:00 at night. She had been there all day. She couldn't talk anymore… or at least she didn't think she could. She was half dazed and she let her feet carry her wherever they wanted to.

It had stopped raining about 1 hour ago but Sakura was still cold, and soaked. She didn't care if she got sick though.

She walked for about 15 more minutes and she found herself in a little park. She found herself a bench and sat on it. That was when she realized just how tired she was. She decided she would take a short nap and go to the Hokage's office later.

_Time Skip_

Sakura woke up and looked around. It was very dark out and she supposed it was around 12:00. She walked around and passed the Uchiha's compound.

She wondered, were all big clans going to end up the same way as her own. (**A/N: Ironic isn't it? xD) **Just then she saw someone walk up to her. She looked at him. He looked to be around 13 years old and he showed no face expression. **(A/N: Guess who?!! :D)**

He walked right past her and headed towards the door of the Uchiha compound. He looked back a little. "You should go home, your parents should be worried." And with that, he opened the door to go inside.

"They are not with me." Sakura said lowly. The boy seemed to have heard her. He walked towards Sakura and bent down so he would be her size. "Of course they are, they are always with you, right here." The boy said as he pointed to Sakura's heart.

"Do you ever wish an event would never happen? Do you ever wish things would have been different, to possibly save people?" Sakura asked the boy. The boy's left eye twitched a little.

"I do. But things are not always what you want them to be. You just have to live life the best way you possibly can." The boy replied.

"What if it was your fault that people disappeared, vanished… died. What if they were your family, and they died because of you?" Sakura now asked looking straight at his ebony colored eyes. The boy's eye twitched once again.

"I would wish it never had to be so, but I would do my best to get things to be as best they could. Sometimes, you can never really make things better after something disastrous has happened, but you can make it up some way or another." The boy said as he stood back up and walked towards the door.

"Now go home, your parents will be worried." The boy said again. "But my parents are dea-" "I told you, they are always watching you, and they are always with you.

They are watching you and they must be worried from wherever they are. That rain, they were crying for you. They were worried about you. Now go home. Don't make them cry for you once again."

"I wonder, what exactly is our home." Sakura asked to herself really.

"It's a place where you are accepted. A place where you are welcomed with open arms. And a place where you feel safe and loved. A place where you are not forced to do something you don't want to." He said.

"Good night." The boy said again as he gently closed the door behind him.

"Welcomed with open arms huh? A place where we feel safe and loved. A place where we are not forced to do something we don't want to huh? Is this the place for you and I?" Sakura wondered out loud as she walked towards the Hokage's office.

_From Behind The Door_

**(Boy's POV)**

I wish, but this place is not for me. They will not welcome me with open arms… not after next week they won't. I do not feel welcomed or loved here. They are forcing me to do something so terrible, that is why, this place cannot be my home.

Though, you, I am sure they will. You are too innocent miss Haruno. I know someone else survived from your clan. They are most likely in the hospital now. The Haruno's should not be underestimated. After all, our clan was branched out from yours. Someone else surely survived.

**(End of POV)**

_With Sakura_

Sakura walked back to the Hokage's office and knocked on his door a few times before coming in and closing the door behind her.

"Ahh, Sakura, I was starting to get worried I was going to send some ANBU to search for you. You shouldn't stay out this late. Especially now, it is very dangerous." The Hokage said showing a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry for making you worry Hokage-sama." Sakura said as she bowed down apologetically.

"It's okay Sakura, more importantly, have you thought things over?" the Hokage asked.

"Yes, I have, I know understand." Sakura said. She shortly sneezed afterwards.

"Okay, I will personally take you to the family that will be taking care of you. It is just a man and a woman. They were personal friends of your mother and she said if anything were to happen, you would stay with them." The Hokage said as he stood up and walked towards Sakura.

"I assure you, they are very kind people. They always wanted a child, but sadly, they could never have one. You would be a dream come true for them." The Hokage said as he and Sakura walked out the door of his office.

"I'm glad to hear that, I was afraid I would become a burden to them. I could not live with myself if I was" Sakura said with a smile. Everything was now off of her mind. Her clan's death did not affect her as much now, as it did then.

"Nonsense! Lets hurry, it is pretty late and you need to get some sleep, you have a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean Hokage-sama?"

"Well, you will need to get your clothes from the compound, that is, unless you want someone else to get it tomorrow." The Hokage said.

"Yeah, I think I would prefer if someone else got it if it would be no problem to you." Sakura said. "Sure thing, don't worry about it." The Hokage said.

The rest of the way they talked about Sakura's 'new' family.

When they got to their new house, they introduced themselves, gave Sakura a blanket, talked for a while, and then went to sleep. It was pretty late and Sakura was exhausted, plus, she most likely got a fever from being out in the rain for too long.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura soon snapped out of her dream when a ray of sunlight hit her face. It was time to start packing and head to Suna. They would make it by the afternoon if they did not waste time.

Sakura gently lifted herself up with her elbows. "God, I hate that dream." Sakura mumbled as she rubbed her eyes with her hands.

**END OF CHAPTER!!!**

**Next Chapter: Meeting Them**

**Update Time: 3/7/09**

**How did you guys like it? O_O I need to know!! This chapter and the last chapter were sad, I know, but it was her clan's death, it had to be sad right?**

**Yay! Gaara is finally in the next chapter!!!! Wooo!!**

**I will be continuing Sakura's dream after the next chapter! I thought maybe 3 chapters of dreams would be boring… plus… I am in need of Gaara xD who is with me?!**

_**ADVERTISEMENT!**_** Check out my other fic Sakura's **_**Heavenly Mistake**_** and **_**Why Us **_**if you haven't already :o I know a few people have :-)**

**Sakura's Heavenly mistake is another sakura x Itachi fic non massacre with slight temaxshika, nejixten, naruxhina, inoxkiba, and sasuxoc**

**Why Us is a: sakura x Itachi, Deidara x Ino, Hidan x Temari with massacre, and Akatsuki related. Has slight naruto x Hinata, and neji x tenten**

**Check them out please! :) **

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**Review please! I would much appreciate it…. If you have any suggestion for the next chapter…. Tell me…. any feedback is much appreciated!!!**

Also... earthlover was the only 1 who guessed right about who inner sakura really was... so u get cookies :D

**I want to thank my reviewers right about now :D This 'thank you' list will include chapters 8-9**

_**Chapter 9**_

_**moonshine86**_

_**HyuugaAngel**_

_**ColdAndDistant**_

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_**Chapter 8**_

_**vergil sparda forever**_

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**THAT IS ALL**

**Again review please!!**


	10. Meeting Them

**Okay! This chapter is up! I accidently deleted this chapter… don't know when… or how because I don't remember ever deleting it. I'm very sorry for all the confusion this might cause people!!**

**Chapter 10: Meeting Them**

_RECAP_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Sakura soon snapped out of her dream when a ray of sunlight hit her face. It was time to start packing and head to Suna. They would make it by the afternoon if they did not waste time. _

_Sakura gently lifted herself up with her elbows. "God, I hate that dream." Sakura mumbled as she rubbed her eyes with her hands._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura got up and went outside to see if anyone was up yet. They never woke her up for her shift so she was curious to see if they had gotten enough sleep.

As she expected, no one was up yet._ "I guess I won't have to make Itachi pay, or tease Kakashi. I never thought they would be such gentlemen. They sure can be nice sometimes; but, just sometimes. I don't think they will do that very often. But I sure am grateful."_ Sakura thought as she gave a small smile at the thought of them. She then gently turned at stared at their tent. She could hear soft inhales and exhales coming from the tent.

Sakura decided she would make them breakfast. It was the least she could do since they had not woke her up for her shift when they were supposed to. She went to hunt for some fish and made some tea using some water. She then cooked some rice and got out 3 bows to put it in.

When the fish were cooking, the tea was ready, and the rice was in the bowls, Sakura decided she would bathe in the natural hot springs. It was about a 5 minute walking distance.

Sakura got out a towel, and some clean clothes and then she headed for the spring. As soon Sakura got there, she looked for a decent place to put her stuff on. She soon undressed and went in. The hot water was very relaxing and Sakura could not help but forgot about everything for a while.

Sakura sunk into the water to get her whole face wet. If only some other girl was with her right now. Things wouldn't be so lonely. She then got reminded of her friends back home. Temari, Ino, Hinata, and TenTen. She wondered how they were doing right now… in their time anyway. Were they missing her? Did they know she was gone?

But then she wondered just how much time had passed in that time since she had arrived. It could have been a few seconds, hours, days, or maybe even weeks. She hoped it wasn't anything past days. That, would mean she would miss about 4 months in her time, while she was stuck here doing her 'mission'.

The thought of her mission made Sakura's mind drift off to Itachi. Tsunade had said it was best if he was still alive, but could she really make sure he never killed his clan? I mean she could probably stall it a day, but if Itachi's mind was set on annihilating his clan, she wouldn't be able to do anything.

That would mean she would have to be with him for every waking second for the rest of his life in order for him to not kill his clan. She definitely did not plan on staying in the past for too long if she could help it! I mean, she missed her friends back home. She missed Naruto's goofy smile, Ino's loud-self, and Hinata's shyness. Heck, she even missed Shikamaru's laziness!

But then she wondered, why exactly did Itachi want to kill his clan? I mean, no one would want to do that. Sakura guessed there was another reason as to the massacre, but she just couldn't guess it. But if there was another reason, it had to be a pretty damn good reason in order to make Itachi kill his _entire _clan.

About 30 minutes later of bathing and thinking, Sakura was done bathing and she got her towel and wrapped it around herself. She looked for a good place where she could change without anyone 'accidently' looking. Even at a young age, Kakashi was still a pervert, a very big pervert. And, she did not know if they were awake and looking for her.

After Sakura managed to change and had everything ready, she headed back to camp. When she got there she noticed Itachi was up, but Kakashi was not. Sakura turned back to the tent and again, she could hear the soft sound of inhaling and exhaling coming from the tent. Most likely, he was still sleeping and dreaming about his 'Icha Icha Paradise' books.

Figures, he was always a lazy, tired bum. Sakura always thought Shikamaru got to his lazy self by hanging out around Kakashi too much. But, she had never seen them together. If they were related though, it would make much more since. But, Kakashi was not part of the Nara family so she just had no clue as to why Shikamaru was so similar to a younger version of Kakashi. Sakura then thought it was just a coincidence and brushed it off as her gaze settled on Itachi.

"Good morning Itachi-kun." Sakura said as she made her way to her tent to put her dirty clothes away. "Morning." Itachi said as he sat on one of the logs and took 1 of the fishes. Sakura soon followed Itachi's example and sat down next to him and took her fish.

"Would you like some tea?" Sakura asked as she got 2 cups and served some in 1 cup.

"Hn." Itachi responded. He still looked cranky so Sakura guessed he had barely woken up. It was best not to irritate him.

Sakura poured tea in the other cup and handed it to Itachi. Itachi grabbed the tea and drank a small sip before putting in next to him on the ground. They ate their breakfast in silence. Not an awkward silence, but more of a soothing and relaxed silence.

"Nee, Itachi, thanks for taking my shifts, I appreciate it." Sakura said. Itachi stared at her. Then he remembered about her nightmare. "Hn" He really wanted to ask her about the dream, but it would not be polite. It was best if she decided to tell him by herself, and not forcefully.

Sakura noticed Itachi was staring at her hesitantly._ "He must have heard me whimpering in the middle of the night." _Sakura thought. She always did that every time she had had that dream. Naruto had told her about once on a mission. Sakura never really believed him, but decided Naruto would never lie to her about it.

"It's okay if you want to know." Sakura said as she took a sip of her tea and stared at it now being fascinated by the ripples. She didn't want to look at Itachi square in the face when she told him.

"It's a dream of my clan's massacre is all. It just hurts to see it all happen again. I am over it, but to see the bodies, and the blood. To hear the screams and wicked laughs of the people. It's just hard not to." Sakura said.

Itachi stared at her in shock for a few seconds even though he did not show it at all; his face showed no sign of having any emotion whatsoever. Was seeing a clan's murder that sad? Would Itachi have nightmares like that too? Would he regret accepting the mission?

Sakura's eyes started to well up. Tears wanted to come out even though she didn't notice. But Itachi noticed alright. He didn't like being the cause of Sakura's tears.

"Heh, look I'm crying. I always thought I was over it, but I guess I'm not. I guess it will always hurt deep down inside, won't it?" Sakura said as she turned towards Itachi and gave him a fake smile as if _trying _to assure him she was fine. Key word… trying. She was trying, but not succeeding.

Itachi didn't know how, or why. His body just acted on its own. His hand moved towards Sakura's cheek, and wiped her tear off.

"It's okay to cry when you need to. Don't keep it bottled up on the inside, it will only hurt more and more" Itachi said. He was shocked, his body was just doing all this on its own. The things Sakura did to him, it was just plain crazy.

Sakura was shocked. Was this… was this Itachi? Was this Itachi being kind to someone?! Was that even possible? Was that even the _same_ Itachi? From the same world and all? Sakura never thought anyone cared that much about her. Sakura's eyes started welling up again. But this time, it wasn't from sadness, it was from happiness.

Sakura moved towards Itachi and gave him a hug. It was a hesitant hug, but it was a big one too and it showed just how thankful she was that Itachi had said that. No one had ever said that in her present time. Maybe because of the fact that she hardly ever cried about it when she was with someone, but she did do it sometimes.

"Thank you." Sakura said as she buried her head on Itachi's neck. "Thank you." Sakura repeated again. Who ever thought Sakura would be so grateful to hear those simple words?

Sakura always thought that she could not cry. She always thought she had to act brave and not shed a single tear. No one ever thought about how Sakura really felt on the inside. And yet, Itachi was able to read her like an open book.

Was it that maybe they were so similar? Was it that maybe Itachi felt the same way? Was it that he too wanted to cry but felt like he couldn't? Not only because he was a man, but because he was the heir of the Uchiha Clan. He was not supposed to cry ever.

Again, Itachi's body acted on its own. He raised his arms, and wrapped them around Sakura's small body. She seemed to fit just perfectly between his arms; like if she was supposed to be there, and no one else. It felt so right no Itachi, he didn't care if anyone was watching… he would kill them later. **(A/N: lolz he'll kill them later xD)** Right now, he just wanted to comfort Sakura, he felt that was his only duty to fulfill right now.

Sakura kept crying for about 10 minutes. She wasn't making any noise, it was just silent crying. She didn't really know how all those tears got bottled up inside of her once again. Maybe it was all those times she saw Neji and Hinata train together. Or maybe when she saw Shikamaru play some weird brain games or shoji with his father. Or maybe even seeing Naruto and Hinata just happily going on a date.

She didn't have any of those. She didn't have a cousin to be by her side. She didn't have a REAL father or mother to be with her. She didn't have a special someone for her. But here she was, feeling like that special someone was right in front of her wrapping his arms around her as if he had done it thousands of times before.

Sakura gently moved her head away from his neck. "I'm sorry I took your time Itachi-kun." Sakura said as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Hn." Was what he responded.

Sakura now acted as if nothing ever happened. Even though you could still see her eyes were red, you wouldn't be able to tell Sakura was crying because she was in such a good mood.

Just then Kakashi woke up. He ate his fish and tea like Itachi and Sakura did, and then he went to bathe with Itachi. Sakura was now stuck cleaning up everything. She didn't mind though. Being on missions with Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi, it was now sort of a habit for her.

After she was done with that, she packed up her tent and just sat around and did nothing until they came back.

**With Kakashi and Itachi**

So, Itachi, what were you and Sakura doing while I was asleep?" Kakashi asked. Itachi glared at him.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure, because I woke up about 5 minutes after you did." Kakashi said with a smirk. **(A/N: Since he is taking a bath, his mask is not on :o) **

Itachi really wanted to kill Kakashi right about now, but he had to know how much he knew. "And?" "And, I saw everything. You're quite the ladies man Itachi. I knew you had fan girls but I never knew you were interested in someone." Kakashi said.

Itachi was now ready to get a kunai and slit his throat. "You tell her anything and I will make sure you'll wish you were never born." Itachi said.

"Why won't you just tell her how you feel?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Because, she does not like me, and I do not like her, I just find her… interesting." Itachi said.

"So you won't mind if I go for her? She is very pretty, and smart, and powerful." Kakashi said.

"Hn." Itachi replied.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Hn."

"Okay then, I'll take that as a no. Well, I'm all done, I'll be leaving. I'll go keep Sakura company." Kakashi said as he got out of the spring and went to change clothes somewhere.

**(Itachi's POV)**

That damn Kakashi is getting on my nerves. If he even touches a single hair on her head, I will cut his hand off.

**Ahh, the over protectiveness is coming in. The third phase to love.**

It's you again. What do you mean the second stage?

**The first phase is denying you like her. The second is finding her different than all the others. Meaning, you are interested in her. Which you just said, so you already passed the first phase.**

You make no sense, I do not like Sakura. That is preposterous.

**Well, then what was all the hugging and comforting back then?**

She needed comforting, I could not just let her cry.

**If I am correct, you wouldn't even do that for a little kid, or even a kitten for that matter.**

Just leave me alone.

**Ahh, I won the battle again. But I will stop talking. Hurry up and conclude your bath, we cannot leave Kakashi alone with Sakura. Who knows what that perverted man will do to our beloved Sakura.**

_Our_ beloved Sakura?

**Well, you like her, so I like her. If you are over-protective of her, then so am I. **

Whatever.

**(End of POV)**

Itachi just realized, his inner was right. He could not let Kakashi be alone with Sakura…. At any costs. Itachi dashed towards his towel, got his clothes, and he too looked for a place to change into his clean clothes.

**(With Sakura)**

Sakura was currently having a good time just relaxing with herself when... '_she'_ came back.

'**Hello Sakura.'**

'_I thought you left to go cry about something… what was it again?'_ Sakura said as she mentally rolled her eyes.

'**I was crying because I was sad that there were no hot guys from our time and th-'**

'_Okay, I get it, what do you want now?'_

'**Oh, I just wanted to remind you of our little deal about how if you were not able to find Itachi someone, you will make him ours… remember?'**

'_Yes I remember what about it?'_

'**Well, I think you should just give up now.'**

'_And why would I do that?!'___

"**Because…. It's obvious you like him… or else you wouldn't have hugged him. And, it's obvious he likes us… because he hugged us back!"** inner sakura said as she mentally jumped up and down at the thought of Itachi hugging her.

Sakura, being reminded of this, blushed like crazy. How could she be dumb enough to forget such a thing?! Itachi would never do that…. for anyone!! Not even a kitten!!

Before Sakura could say or think anything back to her inner, Kakashi came out of the bushes. "Hey Sakura-chan, you mind if I sit next to you?"

"It depends, what are you thinking inside your head. You have your pervert look on your face." Sakura said plainly.

"I'm offended by that comment." Kakashi said as he faked a hurt look.

"Just warning you, I have a fist packed full of chakra for your face if you get too close." Sakura said as she showed her fist to Kakashi.

"Hai Hai." Kakashi said as he sat next to Sakura….. but 2 feet away from her.

Kakashi was about to say something else when Itachi walked through the bushes. "Let's pack Kakashi." Itachi said as he dragged Kakashi away from Sakura. Kakashi waved a good bye at Sakura as they both sweat dropped.

'_I wonder what's up with them.'_ Sakura thought as she returned the 'goodbye' wave.

Itachi and Kakashi soon packed up their clothes, and their tent and they headed off towards Suna. It was 10:00 a.m. and if they hurried, they would make it by 2:30 p.m.

_Time Skip_ **(A/N: Sorry I got nothing on my mind that could possibly happen before they get to Suna!)**

The time went by fast and they were now in the dessert. After a few minutes they were able to see something in the distance. They assumed it was Suna.

They arrived there 15 minutes later and they went to the Kazekage's office. There, they discussed what would be happening.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**In the Kazekage's office**

"Hello, you must be the team Konoha has sent to protect my sons and my daughter." The Yondaime said as he stood up.

"Hai, I am Sakura Haruno, this is Kakashi Hatake, and this is Itachi Uchiha." Sakura said as she pointed to each of them.

"Nice to meet you three. I am surprised Konoha has sent us such… young ninja. But seeing as he sent an Uchiha _and_ one of the remaining Harunos', I believe you guys will be just fine." The Yondaime said as he looked at the 3 of them closely. They were about 1-2 feet shorter than he was but he wouldn't take them for granted. This was _the _Itachi Uchiha and what he thought was one of the few remaining Haruno's. It would be a miracle if there were at least 3 more Haruno's besides herself that survived the massacre.

"Don't be fooled. We are all very skilled ANBU." Kakashi said.

"Oh I know indeed, well, my brother Yashamaru will assist you with all the information you need to know. He will be arriving shortly. I have a very important meeting I must attend do so I bid you 3 fare well. I hope you enjoy your stay here." The Yondaime said as he exited the door.

All 3 of them waited for about 3 minutes until Yashamaru walked through the door as promised.

"_I remember this man; he is the 1 who tried to kill Gaara. How could he, he doesn't deserve to be called his uncle." _Sakura thought in disgust.

"Sorry I'm late. As you may know, I am Yashamaru, the uncle of the 3 you will be protecting. Follow me so I can introduce you 3 to the children." Yashamaru said as he exited the office with Sakura, Itachi, and Kakashi following shortly behind.

As he lead them, Sakura couldn't help but glare at his back. Itachi saw this and noted it. What might Sakura have against a man they had barely met? I mean… they did barely meet right?

They walked through many hallways for about 5 minutes until Yashamaru stopped in front of a door. "The children are in here waiting for you 3." Yashamaru said as he opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was pretty big. It had 2 big beds, a bathroom, and a window. It had a lot of play space too.

There, they saw Temari laughing at Kankuro who had fallen on the floor, and Gaara in the corner of the room hugging a small teddy bear in his arms.

"Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, come meet the people you will be with for a while." Yashamaru said as he pointed to Sakura, Itachi and Sakura.

The 3 of them walked towards Yashamaru. Gaara slowly went behind Yashamaru not trusting anyone he had just met right now

I mean, who would if you were him? Gaara was always shunned in his village since he was a mere baby. Everyone was too terrified to even look at him. Just like Naruto. They were alike too. Except there was 1 difference, a big difference. Gaara accepted being shunned and became a boy not afraid to kill at any given moment. Such attitude towards him had made him like that.

Naruto tried hard, and eventually, most of the villagers accepted him. He did not give up. He would not kill if not needed.

"Hai, you 3 must pick who you will be watching. I need to go to discuss some matters with some very important people. I will give you 3 some time to get to know each other." Yashamaru said as he started to exit the door.

He stopped when he felt a pull on his pants. He looked down and saw Gaara with pleading eyes. Gaara wanted Yashamaru to stay… no matter what. Yashamaru bent down to Gaara's height.

"Don't worry Gaara, they are good people. I'm sure you'll get along just fine." Yashamaru said as he patted Gaara's head and lifted himself up. He exited the door and shut it behind him.

**(Sakura's POV)**

I feel so bad for Gaara. The one person he trusted and believed in tried to assassin him. Why is this the fate for all Jinchuuriki?

**Sakura, while you are here you should try to change that day. Maybe you can change that day when Gaara killed all those people.**

You said something smart for once. You haven't spoken like that since I was young… such a long time ago.

**I act humbly when you need advice. When you don't I can lean back, and relax. Besides, it just breaks my heart having to see Gaara suffer so much. The person he trusted the most hated him.**

I know, I wanted to kill Yashamaru right then and there, but I could not possibly do that. I want to tell them what Yashamaru is planning, but then they would ask how I know and my secret will be revealed.

**I know Sakura. I know you feel sorrow towards Gaara. He's just like-**

Yes, just like Naruto.

**Except he has lost hope. His own mother called him a monster.**

I wonder if Naruto's mother would have done that too if she had ever survived.

**Who knows. But right now, Gaara needs another mother. One who will love him like a mother should. Right now, you are the only one who can be that mother for him.**

I guess you are right. He looks so hopeless by himself there.

**Yeah, come on, snap out of it.**

**(End of Sakura's POV)**

Can I speak to you 2 for a minute?" Sakura said as she grabbed Kakashi and Itachi by the collar and dragged them to a corner of the room. Where they sat down and whispered to each other.

"Okay, this is how I think it should go. I think I should go with Gaara, Kakashi with Temari, and Itachi with Kankuro." Sakura whispered.

"No thank you, I will not be stuck with a girl. I think it should be you with Temari, me with Kankuro, and Itachi with Gaara. Gaara is the most dangerous and Itachi is the most powerful here so he should be in charge of him." Kakashi said.

"Just because we are both girls?! No." Gaara is the most sensitive. You saw how Gaara would not leave Yashamaru-san's side. Itachi would probably scare him to death!" Sakura said as she looked worriedly at Gaara.

"Besides, Temari will need the most attention Itachi obviously can't provide. Also, you would probably teach Gaara how to be perverted. I would kill you if you did such a thing!" Sakura said as she glared at Kakashi.

"Why are you so overprotective over a boy you just met?" Kakashi asked.

"It's because…. Because he reminds me of someone. Someone I cared deeply for. He was treated the exact same way. I don't want Gaara to go through that same pain." Sakura said with sad eyes.

"Hn. I guess we go with Sakura's plan." Itachi said as all 3 of them got up. He sort of wondered if that person meant more to Sakura than just a friend but decided to drop it.

"That's no fair. Just because you like Sa- Ahhh!" Kakashi said as a kunai was towards him on the wall right next to him.

"You were saying Kakashi-san?" Itachi said as he glared and got the kunai from the wall.

"Umm, nothing, nothing at all!" Kakashi said sweat dropping.

The 3 went back to the children. "Okay, so this is what is happening. "Temari-san, you will be with Kakashi over there." Sakura said pointing to Kakashi.

"If he gets a little too perverted just tell me. I will knock some sense into him… literally." Sakura said as she showed Temari her fists. Temari giggled and stared at Kakashi in a devilish manner.

"Kakashi remember, you are around children." Sakura said while glaring.

"Hai." Temari said with a smirk as she walked next to Kakashi.

"Kankuro-san, you will be with Itachi. He won't talk too much but he will be paying attention so don't worry. He might occasionally glare for no reason whatsoever, he does that don't mind him." Sakura said while pointing to Itachi.

"Hai." Kankuro said as he walked towards Itachi.

Sakura bent down and looked at Gaara with a big cheery smile. "You, will be with me. My name is Sakura Haruno. Please call me Sakura, Sakura-chan, or anything near those terms. I hope we can be great friends." Sakura said while sticking her hand out towards a very shy Gaara.

Gaara stood there for a few seconds not entirely sure as to what he should do. He had never been in this position before. I mean, no one ever _truly_ wanted to be his friend. Gaara hesitantly took his hand out and gave it to Sakura.

He immediately flinched as Sakura wrapped her hand around his small one. He thought he might be hit for no reason. It usually happened anyways. Gaara was sort of shocked she did that. Only Yashamaru was that kind to him.

Why was this girl any different from the others? She was kind to him. She did not look at him as if he was a monster. She did not hit him. It was as if she was an alien to Gaara. She had done exactly what other people would never dare to do; she did the exact opposite and tried to befriend him. Just what exactly was she?

"It's okay, I won't hurt you. I have no reason to. I want to be your friend Gaara. Please don't fear me." Sakura said as she gave Gaara her famous smile.

It was famous because it was able to make even the most stoic people feel at least a little bit of happiness. It made them feel as if something good had come into their life even if just for a split second before they turned back to their stoic-selves and pretended that no such thing had happened to them. Yes… Even Itachi, Sasuke, and Neji were included the bunch.

Gaara stared at Sakura's bubbly face. Why was she smiling? And, why was she smiling _at him_ more or less. Gaara eased up a bit. But that didn't mean he was not scared still. People had tricked him like that before. No, he was much too scared to actually trust someone completely. The only 1 he ever trusted was his uncle; Yashamaru. Even he was tricking him…. Even though he did not know it yet.

He kept cautious the whole time he was around Sakura. He had to get used to it though, he would have to be with Sakura for a whole month.

**(End of Chapter)**

**Sorry if it seemed like a cliffy…. But this chapter was just supposed to be… meeting them… nothing else :o Also, I apologize for it being a short chapter but again, it was only supposed to be Kakashi, Sakura, and Itachi meeting Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara so yeah :D…..**

**Next chapter will be longer though :) also… I will be using oc's for the next chapter….**

**They involve…: (2) little girls…. (1) little boy**

**All 3 will be related, and will be people who just moved to Suna…. There is a catch though ^^ and if you like Gaara, you will really like it if you were 1 of the girls :)**

**Next Chapter: The Playground**

**Update Time: I really have no clue but my update time usually takes me a week so… yeah :/**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________**

**That is what I wrote last time! The oc's are now taken so don't ask!**

**Okay that is about everything I needed to say… so now… what else? You do not need to review for this chapter since it is not the earliest chapter but it would be much appreciated since… I still love reviews :D Okay that is all for this chapter!**

**-Marzy-chan**


	11. The Playground

**Hello Marzy-chan here with another chapter! Hope you enjoy it!! Read an review please!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Chapter 10: The Playground**

_Recap_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Gaara eased up a bit. But that didn't mean he was not scared still. People had tricked him like that before. No, he was much too scared to actually trust someone. The only 1 he ever trusted was his uncle. Even he was tricking him…. Even though he did not know it yet._

_He kept cautious the whole time he was around Sakura. He had to get used to it though, he would have to be with Sakura for a whole month._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura, Itachi, and Kakashi were currently speaking to Yashamaru about who would be protecting who, and where they would be staying at while they were there. Yashamaru had come back from his 'meeting' 30 minutes ago. He seemed quite happy of you ask me.

"Are you sure you want Sakura-san to be protecting Gaara? No offense but I would much rather have one of the guys protecting Gaara." Yashamaru said with concern. He did not want Sakura to get hurt. He thought she was weak. But then again, if you just look at her you would think the same thing. She was 12 years old and she seemed sort of scrawny in Yashamaru's point of view.

"We are sure! Itachi would scare Gaara to death with his glaring. And, Kakashi would turn Gaara into a pervert. Besides, Gaara needs some motherly love and neither Itachi or Kakashi can deliver that." Sakura said. She was no way in hell letting Yashamaru have his way…. Not a chance. And no way she would let her poor little Gaara's mind be infested with perverted things… not while Sakura was around anyway.

"But he is very dangero-". "We are very skilled ANBU Yashamaru. You called for us too. Just let us do our job the best way we can! That means, let us handle it and don't interrupt." Sakura said getting annoyed while balling up her hand into a fist.

For the first time in his whole life, Yashamaru was afraid of a little 12-year-old girl. Who wouldn't be though? Sakura had Tsunade's BIG temper. It had just rubbed off on her. And we all know how scary Tsunade is when she is mad AND she had a few bottles of sake. Plus, Sakura was an ANBU. Yes, Yashamaru was very terrified.

"H-Hai." Yashamaru said as he took a step back as a precaution. He really did not want to get beat up by Sakura. That would just be plain embarrassing!

"Okay, so where are we supposed to sleep? We really need to put our clothes away." Kakashi said.

"Uhh, oh yeah, you will each be sleeping in the same room as the child you are watching. There are 3 rooms with 2 beds in each. So Sakura-san, you will be sharing a room with Gaara. Itach-san, you with Kankuro. And you Kakashi, will share a room with Temari." Yashamaru said.

"Okay, show us to our rooms please." Sakura said respectfully forgetting all about what just happened. She was a little nervous about Kakashi being in the same room as Temari. But then she thought about Temari's personality. And soon the tables had turned. Sakura was now nervous for Kakashi's well-being. Just a little bit though. It would be fun to see Kakashi getting beat up.

Yashamaru showed each of them to their rooms, and then they went back to the big room the children were currently staying in. They opened the door and looked at what Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were doing. Temari was watching Kankuro build a little puppet. Gaara was watching too but he was sitting in the corner. Yashamaru excused himself and said he had some business to attend to so he bid then farewell, and exited.

Sakura, Itachi, and Kakashi went inside and started playing with the 3 of them.

Temari was currently picking on Kakashi talking about the 'goofy mask' like thing he always wore on his face. Kankuro was watching everything while snickering every once in a while Itachi just smirked and paid attention to something else. God Itachi loved every minute Kakashi was being intimidated by a 7-year-old-girl.

Gaara was standing in the corner of the room playing with his teddy bear. He would occasionally look up to see what Temari and Kankuro were doing. And lastly, Sakura was trying to think of a way for Gaara to engage in some activities that didn't just involve only himself and his teddy bear. And Itachi… well, he was staring at Sakura. Every now and then he would look back at Temari and Kakashi and smirk. But then he would turn back around and stare blankly at Sakura.

"I know, why don't we all go to the playground?!" Sakura said as she got an idea.

"Seems interesting, I'll go. Let's go Kakashi!" Temari said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. She had taken a liking to him. She probably liked teasing him the best.

"I'll go too." Kankuro said.

Sakura went towards Gaara and bent down.

"Would you like to go to the park Gaara?" Sakura asked giving him a big smile.

Gaara gently shook his head. "No one wants to play with me when I go." Gaara said sadly.

"Well then, you'll play with me okay? Come on, it'll be fun!" Sakura said as she took Gaara's hands and picked him up. He wrapped his arms around Sakura's neck in fear of falling. He held on tightly to his teddy bear too. That was the one thing he would never leave behind.

They made it to the park 5 minutes later. The park was a little crowded. There were a lot of kids playing but when they saw Gaara, they went towards their parents and they immediately went home.

Sakura gave them all a very big glare but immediately focused on Gaara. He looked upset, who wouldn't be everyone was avoiding him.

"Heh, such babies. Scared of nothing." Temari commented trying to make his younger brother feel better. It didn't help much though.

"Where do you want to go first Gaara?" Sakura asked him as she put him down. Gaara slowly pointed to the swings.

"Okay, let's go." Sakura said as she took Gaara's unoccupied hand and led him to the swings. His other hand was holding his teddy bear.

Gaara tried to jump up on the swings but he couldn't reach. He heard Sakura giggle a nice soft giggle. It made Gaara blush a little.

"Here, let me help you up." Sakura said. She picked him up and she sat on the swing with him on her lap. She slowly pushed them with her legs. They sat there and watched Temari, Kankuro, and Kakashi play while Itachi just watched them. They were playing…. "Pin The Kunai on the Kakashi. Everyone was enjoying it… even Itachi… he still didn't forgive Kakashi for that time when they finished bathing. Well, almost everyone was enjoying the game… besides… you guessed it… Kakashi!

"Nee, Gaara, how come you don't like to play with people?" Sakura asked him.

"It's not that I don't like to play with them. They just don't like to play with me. I once had a friend… and 1 time… I almost hurt her. She never spoke to me again." Gaara said sadly.

"What about Temari and Kankuro. They don't mind you at all." Sakura said as she petted Gaara on his head.

"They are always careful with how they talk and treat me. I don't like the special attention they give me… just because…. I am… a mon-". "Now stop right there Gaara." Sakura said as she gently put her fist on his head.

"You are not a monster! You might have a demon in you, but that doesn't mean you are a monster." Sakura said.

"Everyone says I am. No one seems to care about me."

"You are wrong Gaara. Kankuro and Temari care about you very much. They are careful with what they say because you are picked on a lot. They don't want to give you anymore pain. Besides, I care about you too Gaara." Sakura said.

Gaara looked up at Sakura in shock. No one had EVER said that to him. "D-Do you mean it?" he asked.

"Of course I do. You remind me of a friend. He was just liked you. People called him a monster and he was shunned from the village."

"And what happened to him?" Gaara asked curiosity getting the best of him.

"Well, he was tired of people treating him like trash. He tried very hard. His goal was to become Hokage so that the villagers would stop disrespecting him. He tried so hard and soon, he got his wish." Sakura said as she pictured an image of Naruto.

"So he became Hokage?"

"Ahh no, the villagers stopped disrespecting him. But he is still not old enough to become Hokage. For now, is just needs to train more and be patient. His name is… Naruto. One day you 2 will meet. And you will become like brothers." Sakura said.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, let's just say I have a gut feeling." Sakura said as she giggled a little. "Hey you want to see something cool Gaara?"

"Sure Sakura-neechan… I mean… if I can call you that." Gaara said sheepishly. Sakura giggled. She was becoming more and more attached to the younger Gaara. I mean who wouldn't be? He was just so… CUTE!!

"Of course you can call me that Gaara, but only if I can call you Gaara-chan." Sakura said. "Hmmm, ok deal!" Gaara said excitedly. He had learned to love Sakura. It seemed no matter who it was, Sakura could spark joy into anyone's heart. That was the gift Tsunade saw in the girl.

She knew pain so well. And knowing pain that well meant she also knew how to help people forget pain. She knew how to help people feel better. That was what she did to Sasuke, Naruto, Itachi, and now Gaara. Who knew how many more victims would fall under her strange yet wonderful power. The power of happiness.

"Okay, hold your teddy bear up." Sakura instructed. He did as he was told.

Sakura used chakra strings and made the bear move. The bear jumped off of Gaara's lap and landed on the sand. It then started dancing the Macarena.** (A/N: You guys know the dance right? O_o if not… check it out its funny ^^) **

Gaara was giggling the whole time. Sakura then made the bear jump back up on Gaara and give him a bear hug.

"How are you doing that Sakura-neechan?! That's so amazing!" Gaara explain as he hugged his little bear in adoration.** A/N: What a cute sight it would be!!! =3)**

"Shhh, it's magic." Sakura said as she patted Gaara on the head.

Just then they heard some kids giggling and soon, they saw 2 girls and 1 boy. They were playing with a red ball.

"We need to hurry or else mom will be mad." The youngest girl said.

"Relax a little, it's not dark yet, besides, we should have some fun." The boy said as he kicked the ball. He was trying to kick to his sister but he missed and the ball landed a few feet away from Gaara and Sakura.

"Gaara, go give them their ball, I'm sure they would appreciate it." Sakura said as she gently put Gaara down and gave him a small push.

"By they'll just run away from me. Everyone is afraid of me Sakura-neechan." "You won't know unless you try Gaara, so just go." Sakura said reassuringly. She just had a funny feeling about those 3 little kids. It was a good feeling.

Gaara hesitantly walked up to the ball and grabbed it. He walked towards the kids and stuck the ball out in front of him waiting for them to take it.

"A-Arigatou." The youngest girl said as she went up to Gaara and took the ball. She had a slight blush on her face.

"You should watch where you aim next time Ryuu." The other girl said.

"My bad, geez don't over exaggerate." The boy who Gaara presumed to be 'Ryuu' said.

"W-Would you like to p-play with us?" the girl who grabbed the ball said.

"W-Who, me?"

"Well, yeah, you are the only 1 here." The other girl said.

Gaara looked back at Sakura and saw her walking towards them. "Well, hello, who are you kids?" Sakura said as she caught up with Gaara.

"Well, I am Ryuu, this is Rin, and this Yuuki. We just moved here from a small village on the outskirts of the Fire Country." Ryuu said.

"They asked me if they wanted to play with me." Gaara said with a big smile. Sakura had never seen Gaara that happy before… ever! Even when he was the Kazekage.

"Sounds good, why don't you go ask Temari and Kankuro to play too? I think Kakashi is sore from all the kunai stabs." Sakura said as she at Kakashi.

He was currently being chased by Temari and Kankuro. Itachi was following shortly behind. Itachi had also participated in playing with the kids. He said it would not be fair if the kids had all the 'fun'.

"Okay, can you guys wait for me?" Gaara asked them. "Sure!" they all said as Gaara ran towards Temari and Kankuro and told them was going on. They looked towards Ryuu and the other, and then they looked back at Gaara in shock. But it was quickly replaced with a happy smile. Temari aimed 1 last kunai at Kakashi and ran with Kankuro and Gaara back to where Sakura was.

Since Temari and Kankuro were not very strong, the kunai stabs would only prick Kakashi's skin. But when it was Itachi's turn, boy was that a different story. Kakashi was literally running for his life but Itachi insisted it was 'all for the kids'. Even after they left Itachi kept throwing kunai at Kakashi. Poor him.

Gaara introduced each of them.

"Well, what would you guys like to play?" Sakura asked.

"H-How about… hide and seek?" Yuuki suggested.

Everyone nodded in approval. "Okay, I'll start. I'll count to 40." Sakura said as she turned around, closed her eyes, and started counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,…" Sakura started.

Everyone soon hurried and his somewhere. Ryuu decided to hide behind some bushes behind a bench near Sakura.

Temari and Rin went near Kakashi and Itachi. Rin hid behind a rock while Temari hid behind a tree.

Kankuro and Yuuki decided to hide inside and behind the slide. It was one of those slides that was covered on top so she could not see Kankuro.

Ryuu decided he would hide behind another tree not too far away from Temari and Rin

Gaara ran around and carefully climbed up a small tree and tried to hide himself the best he could.

"36, 37, 38, 39, 40! Ready or not, here I come!" Sakura shouted. She looked around. First she found Ryuu and then Kankuro. She then found Rin and Temari. Yuuki and Gaara were the last people she found.

"Well that was fun wasn't it?" Sakura said as she sat down on the grass. All the kids followed her example and sat down near her. Just then Kakashi came running to her and hid behind her.

"Kakashi?" Sakura questioned. Why was he even hiding behind her? Sakura's question was soon answered when she saw Itachi calmly walking towards her. He said a simple "I win." as he sat down near Sakura as well.

Sakura giggled. How funny it must have been if she saw it with her own 2 eyes. She guessed Itachi managed to 'pin the kunai on Kakashi' not just once, but many times. "That's not nice Sakura-chan!" Kakashi said while fake anime tears fell down his eye. This made Sakura laugh even more.

"How about we play another round? This time Kakashi and Itachi will join us and play." Sakura said.

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sore thanks to somebody." Kakashi said as he stared at Itachi. If he glared, he would probably have to play another round of 'Pin the Kunai on the Kakashi'.

"If you 2 don't play then I think I'll play pin the kunai on the Kakashi AND the Itachi." Sakura said with an evil smile on her face.

Itachi quickly nodded and Kakashi sweat dropped. "You're so cruel Sakura-chan." Itachi playing that was bad. Sakura playing that was just…. Plain cruel. I mean she had inhuman strength and her miss was almost perfect! Weeks of practice with TenTen when she was in the present surely paid off when scaring Kakashi and Itachi.

"I'll take that as a compliment, now come on." Sakura said as she stood up and helped the children up.

"You won't help me up Sakura?" Kakashi said as he stuck his hand out for her to grab.

"You 2 are not children. Now get your buts' up." Sakura said.

"Hn." Itachi said as he got up.

"Okay, who wants to be it?" Ryuu asked.

"Umm, how about you Kakashi?" Temari said with a smirk. She would definitely be bossing Kakashi around for the next month. He would be like her own personal servent… how sweet would that be?!

"Fine. Always take advantage of the older 1. So mean. What happened to respecting your elders?" Kakashi murmured to himself.

"What was that Kakashi?" Sakura and Temari said with evil glints in their eyes.

"N-Nothing." Kakashi said as he sweat dropped.

They played a few more games of hide-and-go-seek before Ryuu, Rin, and Yuuki had to go. They said their good-byes' and left. Soon, Gaara, Sakura, Itachi, Kakashi, Temari, and Kankuro left too. Sakura and Gaara stayed behind a little because they were walking slowly. Sakura told Kakashi and Itachi she would meet up with them later so they went on ahead towards their separate rooms.

"So did you have fun in the park Gaara?" Sakura asked him. Gaara quickly nodded.

"I had so much fun today! Plus, I made some new friends! I never thought I would have friends." Gaara said as he grabbed Sakura's hand and held his teddy bear with his other hand.

"You see. When you try your best things can work out." Sakura said as she entwined her small hand with Gaara's smaller hand.

"I guess you were right all along. Your friend, did he also end up having many friends?"

"Who, Naruto? Yes, he had many friends. And everyone cared deeply for him. He was like a brother to many people." Sakura said as she thought about Naruto. How she missed him so much. Sure having a younger Naruto would be enough. But she missed how he would always act as if nothing happened and how everything was perfect. She missed the Naruto from her time period.

She missed is loud annoying self. She missed how he would always talk about ramen. She missed how he would always give her that big grin and told her everything was going to be alright. Even when he knew that it wasn't true and things would never be the same. It was the same when Sasuke left her.

"Good, I want to be just like Naruto when I grow up!" Gaara said happily.

"I'm sure you will be Gaara. He always wanted to be Hokage, and I'm sure you will make a great Kazekage 1 day. Now come on, let's go catch up to Itachi and Kakashi." Sakura said as she picked Gaara up and started running towards them. Gaara giggled all the way there. It felt so nice to have the wind on his face.

Time Skip

When Sakura got to the room with Gaara, she decided she would take a shower. After she took a shower, Gaara did too. They laid on their separate beds; Gaara's bed was next to the window while hers was next to his and in between both beds was a nightstand with a lamp.

Sakura soon dozed off.

Gaara stared out the window and watched the night sky; the stars looked so pretty. He felt too small when he saw the wide open space. Smaller than he already was anyways. He stared at the sleeping Sakura for a minute.

He had only been with her for a few days and he already loved her. He was like a mother to him. He thought about when Sakura would have to leave him. Would things still be the same? Or will things be back to normal. Everyone hating him, everyone ignoring him, everyone being afraid of him, he didn't want any of that.

Just thinking about it made Gaara cry a little. Even though it was not loud, Sakura got woken up by the light whimpering. Sakura was a very light sleeper. When Sakura did open her eyes, she did not like what she saw. She never wanted to see Gaara crying.

"Gaara, what's wrong?" Sakura asked; she was concerned.

"I-I was just thinking w-what my life w-would be like w-when you l-l-left." Gaara said as he wiped away his tears.

"Oh, Gaara come here." Sakura said as she gestured Gaara to come to her bed. He did as he was told and he went under the blankets.

"Now Gaara, things will not change just because I am not here. You have friends. Make sure you keep them close to you. Now go to sleep."

"But I don't sleep." Gaara said.

"Well then, just relax, I am here with you now." Sakura said as she wrapped her arms around Gaara's small figure.

"H-Hai." Gaara did as he was told. It wasn't hard for him to relax, he was with Sakura. He felt safe with her. He stared at her and soon his eyes got heavy. And for the first time in his life, Gaara fell asleep. Sakura smiled. She was glad Gaara felt safe for once in his life. He was just a child now and he needed that safety most of all. She slowly closed her eyes and exhaled, she loved this right now. She was changing Gaara's life for the better.

She did not have a crush on Gaara or anything. But he was like a brother to her, just like Naruto. She never understood why Jinchuuriki were always treated different. Was it because of their power? Because of the beast itself? Or maybe because Jinchuuriki were different?

Sakura thought about herself. While she was growing up, she had always been different than others and she too, got picked on.

Sakura then thought about the Demons sealed inside of Naruto and Gaara. But not only them, but all the others Demons and Jinchuurikis' too. Why must they spend their whole lives trapped inside someone's body. They deserved freedom too.

It wasn't their fault they were always mad and angered. They had to be sealed away, Sakura would be mad too. She wanted the demons to be free again. But she knew that would only cause more destruction. After all, Akatsuki and many other people were after them too. Again, power could bring so much destruction.

All the thinking Sakura was doing was making her dizzy so she stopped from her train of thoughts and focused on going back to sleep. Sakura quickly drifted off to sleep where she had another dream. But it was not about her past. It was somewhat odd… and very different from any other dream she had had so far.

**End of Chapter**

**Yay! Gaara! =3 So…. how was it?!**

**Read and review please!! Tell me how you liked it!**

**Also… I'd like to thank HyuugaAngel and HerMemoriesErased for volunteering to be the oc's for this chapter ^^ they will appear again just letting you guys know! But in maybe 2-3 chapters or somewhere near that :o**

**Just a reminder for those who haven't already voted… look at my profile to vote!!**

**Question: In "Sakura's New Past", should Sakura stay in the past, or be able to go back to her time?**

**The current leader is: stay in the past. You will not be able to vote today… and maybe not tomorrow either because I have another poll open right now for my new story :o!**

**So if you like the other 1, vote!! (if you haven't already)**

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**Okay I'd like to tell you guys to check out my new story called "Her Love"**

**Summary: (full summary…. Since this 1 was too long I changed it up a bit and put I on the description thingy but this is the real 1!)**

Sakura was admired and loved by all in Konoha. So why is that she doesn't feel loved? Will an old teammate come back and be able to help her feel loved again? Or will her hatred towards him -because he left her all alone on a bench- be enough to stop him from doing so? And who is the other Uchiha trying to capture her heart as well? Who will win in the fight for her love? Love triangle! sasuxsakuxita

**If you liked the summary... check it out… **

**if not… still check it out.**

**If you liked my other stories… then you should like this 1 too shouldn't you? :o**

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**Next Chapter: The Strange Dream (that might be the title unless I change what I was going to write… so yeah… may or may not be the same title! Also… it might be a little shorter than the ones I've been doing lately. Just letting you guys know!)**

**Update Time: 1-2 weeks (sorry of you think that's too long… I try to keep the story updating even and now I have 4 stories to keep up on so yeah… don't blame me :o)**

**Now… review and tell me what you think! If you have any ideas about the next chapter tell me plz…all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-Marzy-chan!**

**See ya! And don't forget to review! It is very important!**


	12. The Strange Dream

**Hello!!! My next chapter!!!! I hope you enjoy it!!**

**Sorry of your getting bored of all the dreams I'm writing about D: but this is going to be the last dream for a while unless… you guys want more dreams :/**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**Also… the whole chapter will be Sakura's dream but she will be conscious so she could speak out her thoughts okay :o**

**Don't forget to review at the end!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 11: The Strange Dream**

_Recap_

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_All the thinking Sakura was doing was making her dizzy so she stopped from her train of thoughts and focused on going back to sleep. Sakura quickly drifted off to sleep where she had another dream. But it was not about her past. It was somewhat odd… and very different from any other dream she had ever had so far._

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_**In Sakura's Dream**_

Sakura was standing in what seemed to be… nothing. Everything was white. There was nothing and no one around her. Sakura looked around. That place looked familiar but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Sakura decided to walk around. If she could see something or someone it would help her figure out where exactly she was and how exactly she could get out of there and back to her bed.

"_Sakura… Sakura… over here."_ A voice called out. Sakura remembered that voice. It was the voice of the goddess sealed within the scroll Tsunade had told her about. Sakura did not know if she should follow the voice of the goddess or not. She hardly knew her but she needed to find out why exactly she was there. She hesitantly followed the sound.

Sakura walked up to where she heard the sound the loudest. She looked around but she could not see anything. Just then a bright light started to appear in front of her. It hurt her eyes so she closed them shut.

After the light had vanished, Sakura opened her eyes again and there she saw the goddess standing. She had light blue hair and light blue eyes that seemed almost crystal-like. She was wearing an all white spaghetti strap dress that reached the floor. Sakura had not realized before but she was very beautiful. But she was a goddess. Weren't they supposed to be beautiful an might and all that?

Sakura stared at her. She didn't know what she was doing there so she just waited for her to speak up. Obviously the goddess had called her there so Sakura could not exactly do anything until the goddess decided Sakura could go back.

"Sakura you may be wondering why exactly you are here." She spoke up. Sakura nodded and the goddess continued.

"But first, since we have a lot of time, I will start with the introductions. I am Matsuro**(1)**, Goddess of Time, Fate, and Space. As you may know, you were granted the wish of time travel to the time you are in now, for your most precious thing… correct?" Matsuro said. Again, Sakura nodded and Matsuro continued.

**(A/N: The meaning of the word is at the end… check it out first so you understand it better or else you might not understand it very well! There are about 11 more later on too so you're going to have to be going back and worth sorry about that!!!)**

"Well, you have already spent about 1 week in that time. There must be some things you may want to clear up and know. So, ask me anything you want to know." Matsuro said.

"Okay well, first off, where exactly are we, who are you exactly, and how did I get here?" Sakura asked.

"We are currently in a space I have created for myself inside the scroll. Since I am the goddess of time, fate, and space, I can time skip, create space, destroy space, see the future, anything that has to do with the matter of time, fate, and space. I, am one of the many gods and goddesses that rule your world. And for your third question, since you have made a deal with me, you should be seeing a lot of me lately." Matsuro said.

"So you are saying you can control anything in this… whatever this is?" Sakura asked as she looked around at the space around her… which happened to be… nothing. Matsuro nodded. Her eyes glowed a light blue for a second and then they atmosphere changed. Now they were in the middle of a beautiful meadow and they were sitting on some white chairs with a white table in between them.

"Does that mean you can control our time too?" Sakura asked.

"Not exactly for 2 reasons. The first reason is because I am sealed inside this scroll. My power is only limited to the person who gives me a sacrifice. And second, I am not the only goddess that makes up your world. There is also Taiyou**(2)**, Tsuki**(3)**, Tei**(4)**, Kaji**(5)**, Sora**(6), **Tentou**(7), **and many more. With only my power, I would not be able to do much to your world." Matsuro explained.

"Okay, next question, why was I brought here?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I thought you may want to know what is happening in your time, or what will happen in your time of you do not succeed." Matsuro said. She lifted her hand and immediately a small pool-like mirror appeared in the air. At first, it showed nothing but ripples, but then the ripples started to disappear until Sakura could make out the picture.

It was Naruto. He was… fighting with the Akatsuki. She saw Kakashi, Sai, and Ino with him. They were all badly injured. And the Akatsuki members… they were… Itachi and Kisame.

Sakura shut her eyes. She didn't want to see anymore. She knew who would win. It was obvious and she just didn't want to see it. Matsuro noticed Sakura was hurt by what she saw so she made the pool-like mirror disappear with a snap of her finger.

"I'm sorry, but I just had to show you. I know why you are here, and I know you must care for him very much. I too care for that young boy." Matsuro said.

Sakura looked up confused. Why would she care about him? Matsuro sighed and got ready to explain.

"Kyuubi, Shukaku, and every other demon. They are not gods, but they are closely resembled to one. They would be considered 1, but they are different from us. They do not rule your time with us other gods. They are 1 of our creations. All of them were made by us to keep your world in balance. But then they were enraged because people were destroying their homeland." Matsuro said as she remembered all that happened that 1 fateful night.

"But why didn't you guys do anything. If you control fate, why didn't you stop it?" Sakura said. Everything could have been different for Naruto and Gaara. they wouldn't have been picked on or shunned like that.

"I'm afraid it is not that simple Sakura. My powers allow me to see the future, and for everything I change, I need something that is of equal value of what I took or changed. There was nothing I could have exchanged it with besides everything itself because it changed the lives of everyone and everything. If I had used my powers to change everything, your world would have been destroyed." Matsuro explained. She was 1 of the most powerful of the gods. She alone if she really wanted to could create much damage to the world, but it was very hard since she was not the only god.

"Why couldn't you tell the demons anything?! You could have told them to stop!" Sakura asked.

"They might be our creations, but they have their own free will. We cannot contact them once we sent them to your world unless they found the 1 item we hide in." Matsuro said.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Take the example of Taiyou, the sun. Someone must have such great knowledge, and skill to contact him. Unfortunately, as skilled, and intelligent the demons are, they must find out what figure we take so they could contact us. If they don't know that they can't. And we are not allowed to tell anyone that. So, Taiyou could have hidden in fire, and no one would have known." Matsuro said. Sakura nodded in understanding.

"How did you gods and goddesses come to be?" Sakura asked.

"That is a tricky question even us gods don't now entirely. But it is said we were the first created or ever born. It is said that we were the start of everything. It is also said that we gave off offspring's and they came to be humans in your land. Like take example, Kaji and Tentou. They are known as a couple in our world. Their offspring carried some of their powers mixed together. Tsuki is Kaji's sister."

"So wait, Lighting, Fire, and the Moon." Sakura said as she thought it over. It sounded so familiar.

After a minute of thinking, sakura said "Wait, that's-!"

"Ahh, so you have figured it out. Kaji and Tentou made the Uchiha Clan. The moon represents their Tsukiyomi.

"Does that mean all the major clans originally came from the gods?!" Sakura asked.

"That is correct, most of them did unless they branched out themselves, for example, the Hyuugas'. That is why they all have what you guys call "Kekkai Genkai's", the power residing in your blood.

"S-So then, from whom does my clan come from? Can you tell me the true power of my Kekkai Genkai?" Sakura asked. Maybe if she could find out, she could learn the true power of her Kekkai Genkai.

"I am sorry, but I am not supposed to reveal such information. I can give you a hint though. I'll give you a few names of the Gods you come from. Ukiyo**(8),** Mizu**(9), **and Kyuui**(10)** are their names and Sachi**(11) **is her name. They were 3 brothers and a mother. Sachi was the sister of Tsuki. Ukiyo and I belong together. The ones I listed have to do with your power." Matsuro said.

"So, Life, Water, Happiness, Moon, Peace, and Fate. I understand moon because we can also activate something like the Tsukiyomi and our kekkai genkai is supposed to be 'cousins' to the Sharingan, but what about the others?" Sakura asked. She did not understand this whatsoever. It made a little sense to Sakura. The Moon yes, and somewhat Fate. Matsuro too had blue eyes and hair after all so she must have come from the Haruno Clan.

"I cannot tell you. But you will find out someday I am sure of it, after all, I am Fate, I know you will." Matsuro said with a reassuring smile.

"Do you have any other questions?" Matsuro asked.

"Yes, you said you were sealed inside this scroll, why are you sealed in here, and who sealed you in here?" Sakura asked. If she was her 'mother' then she could not stand this at all.

"Well, I am 1 of the most important of all the gods because I represent 3 things. Most usually represent 1, it is rare if they represent 2. I took a figure of a simple object, such as a pot. The pot was part of the space surrounding the world so I picked it.

A man who studied about us Gods went crazy trying to search for 1. He took any object and chanted out the words to take us out of the object we were in, if we were in the object he was doing the ritual in. The man had done the ritual in the pot I was staying in. I had to leave and he sealed me in a scroll.

He said he would take me out later so he could use my powers whatever they were; he did not know them yet. But before he could unseal me, some bandits had killed him.

They said he had a debt and he could not pay it back. He had spent all his money buying objects he thought we gods would be in –because they were expensive, gorgeous, or holy- and he was soon left with no money. Without the man who cast the ritual, I could not be unsealed, unless someone wanted to unseal me with their own sacrifice." Matsuro finished off.

"Does that mean I could unseal you from this scroll?" Sakura asked. Matsuro nodded. "You can, but it will take a sacrifice that is equal to that you are asking for.

"What would be the equal of unsealing you then?" Sakura asked. She was determined to get Matsuro out of this scroll. Only the other gods knew how long she had been sealed there and Sakura would hate to be stuck in the same place over so many years.

"I cannot say an answer yet. I need more knowledge of you so I could see what is the most precious thing to you." Matsuro said.

"Aren't you ever lonely in here?" Sakura asked.

"Indeed, it does get pretty lonely in here without anyone. Even though I have no real contact with the real world or the other gods, I can still see them. I can see things with that pool-like mirror I showed you. If a pick a specific time, I can see what I want to see.

"I see, can I ask you something. When you showed me… the fight… with Naruto… why was he fighting them?" Sakura asked.

"Naruto believed that the Akatsuki had kidnapped you so he went looking after them with Sai, Kakashi, and Ino." Matsuro said hesitantly. She knew Sakura would feel guilty about what happened.

"Oh… can I please see all of it?" Sakura asked sadly.

"You… want to… see it all?" Matsuro said a bit surprised.

"I need to know what exactly happened." Sakura said.

"Very Well." Matsuro said. Just then the scenery changed again and Matsuro was no longer there, it was just Sakura in the middle of what seemed like a forest. The picture was blurry but with every passing second the picture got clearer and clearer.

A minute later Sakura was able to make out sound. It was metal clanging and jutsus' being blasted at each other. Sakura walked to the direction and there she saw them fighting. Kakashi had the worst injuries. Ino was not really engaging in battle. Sakura concluded that she was only there to heal everyone when she possibly could.

Just then she saw Itachi throw a hit at Naruto. Sakura felt a tear drop on her cheek. She was crying already and it wasn't even 1 minute since she had got there.

"Where is Sakura-chan! Give her back!" Naruto said as he glared at Itachi. The Kyuubi's chakra was starting to leak out of his body.

"We do not have your 'Sakura-chan' but we will gladly take you." Kisame said as he got his sword out.

"You're lying! Give her back to me!" Naruto yelled out. 1 tail had already formed on his back and the other was already forming.

Sakura ran to Naruto.

"_I'm right here Naruto! Please, don't let the Kyuubi take control of you please! Snap out of it Naruto!"_ Sakura said as she bent down towards him. She was about to touch him but her hand just went right through him.

'_Remember Sakura, you are not really there, you are only seeing what is happening.'_ A voice inside her head said. It was not Inner Sakura so Sakura supposed it was Matsuro. Sakura was not paying attention to the voice though. She just stared in sadness as Itachi charged at Naruto.

Her heart was being torn between the 1 she loved as a brother her whole life, and the 1 she might have fallen in love with.

"_ITACHI STOP!"_ Sakura yelled out tears pouring out of her eyes. He didn't stop though. He raced at Naruto with a kunai in hand. Sakura looked back at Naruto. His second tail was all done and the third tail was forming.

"_GIVE HER BACK! GIVE SAKURA-CHAN BACK TO US!"_ Naruto yelled out as he also went towards Itachi.

"Naruto! Control yourself now! Ino, be ready to heal him!" Kakashi ordered as he dodged a blow from Kisame's Sameheda**(sp?)**.

Just then Itachi started to make some hand signs. Kakashi noticed what hand sign he was making.

"Everyone back now!" Kakashi ordered and he and Kisame separated from battle and went their separate ways to avoid the explosion.

"…_Na-ru-to… Please… stop… No more… please."_ Sakura said as she got down on her knees and cried. She was tired of all of it. She was tired of all the violence. She was tired of all the meaningless fighting. She never understood why they chose violence and power over peace and happiness. She didn't understand it at all. She wanted peace. She didn't want any of this. Her heart was being torn between the one she loved and the people who were just like family to her.

Just then Sakura's eyes started changing colors. They changed into a goldish color and then Sakura saw a different scene.

_She saw a happy scene. It was Naruto, her, Sasuke, and Kakashi eating ramen. Team 7. They were all older, around 22. And Sasuke was smiling. It was a true smile._

_Then she saw Itachi walking up to them. Sakura got overjoyed and she ran towards Itachi. Itachi gave her a kiss on the lips and they went towards Sasuke and Kakashi. Everything was perfect. Everything was… calm and peaceful; just how she wanted everything to be. Exactly how she wanted everything to be; peaceful and calm._

After the small scene was over she felt very dizzy. She looked back to where they were fighting. All she saw was Naruto and Itachi on the floor; they were both unconscious and bleeding severely.

Then the scene changed a bit. It was in the same area, but it seemed it was a few hours later. Ino, Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto were gone, and with them, a trail of blood following behind.

She looked around and she saw Kisame. He was… crying?! Next to him, on the floor, was Itachi's unconscious body. He wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing… he wasn't… anything. Sakura's medic-instincts kicked in. He had many severe injuries in places that were fatal. He was dying… if he was not dead already anyway.

"_Why? Why did all of this have to happen…why?"_ Sakura managed to whisper out before she blacked out completely and fell into a world of darkness.

_Time Skip_

Sakura woke up and looked around. She was back to where she started. She was in Matsuro's space. She looked around again. It was the same as when she first got there, except Sakura was laying in a white bed and this time she was not wearing her usual uniform. Instead she was wearing an all white dress just like Matsuro's.

She used her chakra to check if she had any injuries. But then she realized, she barely had any chakra left. She panicked a little. What had happened a few hours ago?

"Matsuro? Matsuro where are you?" Sakura yelled out a little. She did not want to be alone right now; she was scared.

"_I'm here Sakura. Sakura, my daughter, are you alright?"_ A voice called out. A few seconds later Matsuro appeared. Her crystal eyes showed just how worried she was. Sakura sighed in relief.

"Matsuro, what happened, I don't remember anything. I just remember seeing me, Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, and Itachi, and then… and then… he… he died... and then… I don't know." Sakura said as she grabbed her head in confusion. The more she thought about it the more her head hurt. What had happened to her?!

"Calm down Sakura, I will explain it to you. But first, how are you feeling. You've been asleep for quite some time now" Matsuro said with concern.

"Well, I have no chakra but I feel fine. How long have I been out? 1 hour?" Sakura said.

"You have no chakra? That's strange. You've been out for 1…" Matsuro said hesitantl.

"I hour, that's not too long."

"No Sakura, not 1 hour, 1 week. That's why it is strange that you have no chakra."

Sakura's eyes widened. "1-1 w-week? Are you sure? What about me in my world?" Sakura asked.

"I said we had a lot of time because I can only speak to you when you are asleep. So technically, I would have been speaking with you for about 9 hours. But then you passed out, I refused to let you out while you were unconscious so I kept you in here until you woke up." Matsuro said as she walked towards Sakura and sat on the corner of the bed.

"So, I am still sleeping over there? And it has been 1 week?!" Sakura said as she lifted herself up. "I need to go now! Gaara must be worried sick! And Kakashi and I-" Sakura stopped as she said his name. She thought about the Itachi she saw in the future. He was a coldblooded heartless killer. Was the Itachi in that time there all that different from the Itachi from the time she was in?

"Itachi." Matsuro finished for her. "I will send you back to your time, but before that, I need to talk to you about what happened before you passed out." Matsuro said.

"What about it?" Sakura asked as she looked at herself in the white dress. Even though it was plain, it was very pretty.

"Well, you activated part of your Kekkai Genkai." Matsuro said unsurely.

"I did what?!" Sakura said a bit shocked.

"Well, remember, Kyuui, and Sachi, Happiness and Peace. Whatever you saw. It is the outcome of your hard work. That is, if you never give up anyway. It was an image of the happiness and peacefulness you have always wanted. Wanting those 2 things is normal for a Haruno. It is what they crave for." Matsuro said.

"Y-You mean…" Sakura said as she had a flashback. Itachi… Itachi had kissed her. Sasuke… he was smiling. Sakura was happy and Naruto was fine. Everything was just perfect. Did that mean… everything was going to be fine?

"Does that mean that everything will work out fine?" Sakura said with hope. That life… it was perfect… whether she wanted to admit she liked Itachi or not; it was perfect.

"Not necessarily. What you saw will only be the outcome of you giving it everything you've got. You might have to go through near death experiences to get to whatever you saw. Or maybe that's just what you wanted to see; not necessarily what will happen." Matsuro said.

"Ohh, I see." Sakura said. She was about to ask more questions but Matsuro stopped her.

"Sakura, it's time for you to go. They're calling you." Matsuro said.

"What? Who's calling me?" Sakura asked confused.

Another pool-like mirror appeared and the ripples started to clear. She saw herself in a hospital bed.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Gaara, Itachi, Kakashi, Temari, and Kankuro were there. Then a nurse came in. She said that Sakura was in a comatose state and they did not know when she would be coming back… if she ever did._

"_For some unknown reason all her chakra has escaped her body and she is very low in it." The nurse explained._

_Everyone was shocked. Itachi glared at Kakashi and he understood. _

"_Kids, why don't you come with me and I'll get you guys something to eat." Kakashi said as he took the kids' hands and left the room._

_When everyone left the room, only Itachi was left. He walked up to Sakura and grabbed her hand._

"_Please be okay." Itachi said as he gently kissed Sakura on the cheek and sat down on the chair. Just then Gaara walked in with his little teddy bear and went towards Sakura._

"_Is Sakura-neechan going to die Itachi?" Gaara asked as he watched Sakura with worried eyes._

"_No, she's strong. You just need to trust her and have faith, she'll be okay." Itachi said as he patted Gaara's head. "Come on, let's go get you something to eat." Itachi said as he grabbed Gaara's hand._

"_Wait." Gaara said as he went back to Sakura's bed. He put his teddy bear under her hand and went back to Itachi and grabbed his hand. Itachi glanced at Sakura 1 more time before he shut the door behind him and caught up with Kakashi._

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The pool disappeared and Sakura looked shocked. The 3 things that went through Sakura's mind was:

1: Oh my goodness. He kissed me!

2: Aww, Gaara's worried sick about me.

3: I have to get back!

"This happened when Gaara had woken up by the noise you were making in your sleep and he tried to wake you up. You wouldn't wake up so he called Itachi. He noticed your chakra was gone and he rushed you to the Hospital so you could get checked by a doctor." Matsuro explained.

If that happened all in 1 hour, she couldn't even imagine how worried they were now.

"I have to get back." Was all Sakura was able to conclude.

"But there is something that has been worrying me. Usually when you awaken that specific part of your kekkai genkai, your chakra comes back almost immediately. It has been 1 week and you are still low on chakra. I am worried." Matsuro said.

"I'll be fine!" Sakura reassured her.

"If you don't mind, I would like to stay with you. Just so I could watch over you and make sure you are safe." Matsuro said.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you are the only heir left to the clan. It would break my heart if something happened to you." Matsuro said as she walked towards Sakura and put her hand on her shoulder.

"But how is that possible, you are sealed in the scroll."

"My body is sealed in here, but my soul is not I was always able to travel but I found no reason to because I had no real important purpose. It takes a lot of energy out of me every time I travel, but I'll be okay." Matsuro said with a small smile.

Sakura smiled as well, it would feel nice to have someone from her clan in her. She didn't know the truth about 'Inner Sakura' yet. But the thought of having _2 people_ in her mind… kind of scared her a little. But Matsuro seemed calm… but then again. So was Inner Sakura when she was just 5 years old. It seems the less she needs them, the crazier and uncontrollable they get.

Sakura looked at Matsuro and nodded. Then Sakura blinked. When she opened her eyes again, Matsuro was dissolving in thin air and she looked like bright blue sparks flying through the air. They surrounded Sakura and soon, they went in her.

'_Sakura, can you hear me?'_ Matsuro said inside her head. "Yes, I can. It's time we go back now Matsuro." Sakura said in her mind.

A few seconds later, Sakura was enveloped in a bright blue light. Again, she felt dizzy and fell unconscious.

_Time Skip_

Sakura woke up to all white. She thought she was still in Matsuro's personal world until she took a better look. She was in a hospital room. She looked around. There was no one there. She looked outside the window and estimated that it was about 12:00 in the afternoon. She checked herself with her chakra. She was still very low on chakra but she at least had enough so she would not be unconscious.

She looked at herself, she was wearing the dress she had on when she was in Matsuro's world. Why was she wearing that?

'_Hey, Matsuro, why am I wearing the dress I had on?_'Sakura asked.

'_I guess that whatever happened to you while you were in my world, happened to you when you were sleeping.' _Matsuro said unsurely.

'**Who's the new girl?'** Inner Sakura asked.

'_Hello, I am Matsuro, Goddess of Space, Fate, and Time.'_ Matsuro said. Inner's eyes grew wide for a second. She knew all about her. She had to study her clan's history and how they came to be. There, the name Matsuro stood, one of their founding mothers.

The Haruno Clan knew things many others did not. They knew about the Gods and everything. But they were descendants of Kyuui, they would never tell a soul. If they told someone about them, they would come looking for power and destruction. That was definitely not peace whatsoever.

'**Nice to meet you Matsuro.'** Inner Sakura said respectfully. She had to show respect, it had to be done! I mean it was 1 of their founding mothers… it would be just plain rude!

'_No need for so much respect. Now, I am just like you. I am here to make sure Sakura is safe.'_ Matsuro said. Kikyou understood completely. She was not only there because she wanted to live her life again, but because she saw something she did not like. She saw what would happen when Sakura was at age 5.

Everything was repeating itself. If maybe she could help so Sakura could reconstruct the once glorious and peaceful Haruno Clan, she would be happy.

This was where 'Fate' came in with their kekkai genkai. The heirs or the most powerful of the clan had the ability to see the future. It was a very hard thing to do and most could only do it once or twice in their whole life time. Even if you only did it once, there was a chance you would die if you were not an heir.

That was why Sakura's mother knew they were coming. That was why Sakura's mother said 'Fate was with her.'

She knew all of this would have happened. She was going to die; she knew it. She was dying before the man ever appeared in front of her. Only those with a lot of skill and power could perform that jutsu and be able to live. Usually, only the heirs would survive. Ayame **(Sakura's mother)** was not an heir. Her husband was. She might have been skilled, but apparently not skilled enough to handle the jutsu.

Kikyou **(Inner Sakura)** knew all this, yet, she told Sakura nothing of it. She just couldn't do it yet. It just wasn't time for her to know the full truth about everything yet.

Just then the door was slowly starting to open. Sakura laid back down in the bed and pretended to still be unconscious. And the 1 who opened the door was……………….

**End of Chapter!**

**Hehe cliffy xD sorry about that but this was supposed to be Sakura's dream… and **_some___**truth about her kekkai genkai… :o tell me how you liked it!**

**Again, the numbers at the end of some words meant something… I listed them here below so if you need to go back and reread it so you understand it –because you didn't do it last time I said to- , then do it now kay? :)**

**1: Matsuro- Fate**

**2: Taiyou- Sun**

**3: Tsuki- Moon**

**4: Tei- Air**

**5: Kaji- Fire**

**6: Sora- Sky**

**7: Tentou- Lightning**

**8: Ukiyo- Life**

**9: Mizu- Water**

**10: Kyuui- Peace**

**11: Sachi- Happiness**

**Okay there it is! If there's something you don't understand, then ask me plz! I'll make sure I clear up all the confusion so that you understand!**

**Again! Sorry of you are tired of all the dreams Sakura's having!**

**1) Tell me if you don't want any more for a while… or! If you think she should have them often!**

**That's my only question besides…**

**2) Are you enjoying it so far? :o**

**Okay some info! I was able to finish this story a bit faster than I thought it would take. It took me less than 4 days to write it all =O but I try to keep the updating at the same time so I didn't put it up until now… sorry for making you guys wait a few extra days.**

**I am having a writers' block in my story "**_**Why Us?" **_**so it will take me a bit longer to update that 1. Same goes for **_**'Sakura's Heavenly Mistake'**_** but I have the idea and just need to write it down :D. It will take me at least 2-4 more days to update those 2 so bare with me okay?**

**Also… I am in a verge of making a new story :D! I still do not know the name if it and it is a saku x ? Most likely it the ? will be either Sasuke, Itachi, or another Akatsuki member :o. If I do post it… I hope to have the support of all my other readers/reviewers!**

**Hehe :) I believe that is all for this chapter! So now the only thing left to do is… you guessed it! REVIEW! :)**

_**Important!!!**_

**p.s. thank you for all the people who took their time to review on this story!! I really appreciate it and I have exactly 73 reviews!! If you guys can make it past 100 reviews in the next few chapters I'll update extra early for about 2-3 chapters! (I'll try anyways) :0 but that might mean the others will be a few days late… but this is the greatest hit so far so… yeah :0**

**Are you guys up for the challenge? You guys have exactly 3 chapters to make it to 100 reviews if you do… it means earlier updates!! ^_^**

**Again! Review! If you want the early updates! Every review counts :) Yes… that means you… the person reading this now!**

**Now I bid you all my farewells…**

**-Marzy-chan!**


	13. Confusion

**Okay! My next chapter is here!! I hope you guys enjoy it!!**

_**ATTENTION!!!!! SUPER IMPORTANT!!!!!!**_

**It seems I accidently erased one of my chapters… it was supposed to be before the chapter 'The Playground, but after the chapter 'Sakura's Dream and the Truth Part 2'. The chapter was supposed to be called 'Meeting Them'. I do not know how long it has been erased because… I honestly don't remember ****EVER ****deleting it in the first place!!! I don't think I ever deleted it… it might have been an accident if I did :o and… **

**I think the people who just recently started reading my story never did get to read it.… I know I did at some point put it up because I do remember 1 specific review from someone I got from the chapter because that person asked to be an oc… so yeah… I know I put it up!!! :(**

**If you haven't read it already please read it!!! There's a bit of itaxsaku in it and I find it very cute!! Even if you have read it before, please read it again! I added a bit more to it because I realized it was very short :O If possible, read it before you read this chapter or else it might become even more confusing that it already is!**

**So again, please read that chapter!! I am **_**soooooo **_**sorry for the confusion Dx**

**Okay anyway… onto this chapter! :D I hope you guys like it! I am putting more scenes with ita x saku in this chapter!! I hope you like it and review at the end!!!**

**Inners**

_**Matsuro**_

_Flashbacks, Sakura's thoughts (speaking to inners) and or emphasizing_

Normal POV

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters… besides the ocs' I made with the help of the reviewers! (Marika, Hiroto, Himawari, etc.)**

**Enjoy!**

_Recap_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just then the door was slowly starting to open. Sakura laid back down in the bed and pretended to still be unconscious. And the 1 who opened the door was……………….

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 12: (Sorry got no title!! If you have a good title for this chapter please tell me and I'll name it that okay? :D)**

Just then the door was slowly starting to open. Sakura laid back down in the bed and pretended to still be unconscious. And the one who opened the door was………….. Yashamaru?

Yashamaru slowly walked up to the side of her bed and stared at her. Sakura could feel his eyes just piercing right through her.

"I knew she was too weak to guard Gaara. I just wonder what that little monster did to put her in such a state. I have to make sure our plan proceeds as fast as possible so nothing like this ever happens again." He said.

Sakura was about ready to punch Yashamaru square in the face for 2 reasons.

1: He called her weak. No one did such a thing and got away with it without _at least_ a broken bone.

2: He called Gaara a monster. Like she said before, Gaara was not a monster just because he had a demon sealed inside of him. Gaara had actually saved many people; if they did not seal the demon inside of him, many more would have died.

Sakura restrained herself though, she wanted to see how much information she could get out of him before he left. Maybe she could actually prevent the day people tried to kill Gaara.

Sakura didn't have much luck though because soon after, she heard the door open again followed by some footprints. She guessed someone else had entered the room.

"Uchiha-san; good to see you again." Yashamaru said with a small nod towards his direction.

Sakura mentally widened her eyes. She really didn't want to see him right now. She wanted to think about the things she saw with Matsuro. She saw 2 Itachi's while she was there. The one who Sakura hated because he killed thousands without a second thought and was after Naruto, and the one who loved her, and she loved back.

Itachi nodded back at Yashamaru and went to sit by a chair near Sakura's bed. He just sat there and glared at Yashamaru. He didn't really know why Yashamaru was visiting Sakura; I mean, they hardly knew each other and Yashamaru seemed to be the type of guy that was always too busy to visit people in the hospital.

Also, Sakura had once glared at Yashamaru with a killing intent. If Sakura thought this guy was worth killing, then Itachi thought there was surely something wrong. Either way, he didn't like Yashamaru because he was visiting _his _Sakura and because _his_ Sakura did not like him.

"Why exactly are you here Yashamaru-san?" Itachi asked.

"Well, I wanted to see how the girl was doing. It was all my fault for allowing her to guard Gaara. It seems he must have harmed her in her sleep."

"If you are insisting Sakura is too weak to take care of herself, then your conclusion is quite incorrect. She is a skilled as I am, maybe even better. As to Gaara, he would never hurt Sakura intentionally, or unintentionally." Itachi said as he glared at Yashamaru some more.

"Well then what could be the cause to her… coma?" Yashamaru asked.

"Haven't you read the medical reports? There is currently no certain cause they were able to find. I am sure if demon had anything to do with this incident, they would be able to sense his demonic chakra around her, but they didn't sense anything; meaning Gaara is not at fault." Itachi said. Talking to his inner really made him even better at winning arguments… not that he already wasn't good though.

"Or maybe the demon can just hide is chakra well." Yashamaru insisted.

"I doubt it. I have looked at Sakura's body with my Sharingan. There is no sign of any other chakra besides her own in her body.

"I'm just sayin-"

"Are you insisting my Sharingan is wrong Yashamaru-san? You know quite well how accurate my blood-line limit is.

Yashamaru was silent for a minute. It was true the Sharingan probably had no flaws, meaning, it was not Gaara. But nevertheless, Yashamaru was set on blaming Gaara.

"I guess you're right. I'll take my leave now. I want to see how Gaara is doing." Yashamaru said as he gave a small nod, and exited the room.

Sakura mentally sighed; she was not nervous anymore. She was glad he had left because if Yashamaru had insulted Gaara just a bit more, she would have definitely killed him. Sakura was about to open her eyes and look around but she remembered Itachi was still in the room. This made her shoot back up to nervous once again. It was just Itachi and herself… alone in a hospital room. She was supposed to still be in a coma so what could she do besides lay there and let Itachi do whatever he was going to do in the first place.

Sakura slowly listened to every sound she could possibly hear so she could try to figure out what exactly he was doing; but she didn't hear any sound besides their own soft breathing. She just laid there wondering just how long she would have to put up the act but just then, Sakura was able to hear a new sound.

She heard movement; but since her eyes were closed, she did not know what it was and she wondered what exactly he was doing. She soon had her answer when she felt him wrap his hands around her own small one. She felt him slowly stroke her hand with such concern it made her want to just melt into it. Since when did Itachi start to worry about people?

"Sakura… please be okay." She heard him say before she could hear him stand up.

Sakura thought it was finally the end of it but she was wrong. She felt his hands move to her face and he slowly stroked her cheek. This made Sakura want to blush but she refrained so she would not lose her cover.

Itachi had then taken his hands away from her cheek and just stared at her for a while. She wondered if he was done and about to leave; she sure hoped so. She could only handle so much and she was definitely reaching her limit.

Itachi then quickly bent down, kissed her on the cheek, and left as he shut the door behind him. Itachi decided he would go look after Gaara and Kakashi would be left with Temari an Kankuro; he could handle it… he hoped. Yashamaru seemed to be planning something against Gaara. It seemed as if he was trying to get Itachi against Gaara; but Itachi knew better. He had to keep a close eye on Gaara to make sure he was okay. After all, it would be what Sakura would want.

It all happened so fast Sakura didn't even know if it really happened or not. She was confused; why exactly did he kiss her?

When Sakura made sure it was clear, she slowly sat on the chair and pressed her hand to her cheek where Itachi had kissed her. Just thinking about it made Sakura blush 10 shades of red. This was the second time Sakura had seen and or _felt_ Itachi kissing her cheek. But she only saw a few minutes of the scene Matsuro had showed it. It made her wonder just how many times exactly Itachi _had_ kissed her.

Sakura smacked her head, why should she even care about that? It was not part of the mission! It was supposed to be to make sure Itachi never killed his clan, and to go back to her own time. Falling in love with an Uchiha –especially Itachi Uchiha- was _definitely not_ part of the mission.

With one heavy sighed, she took all that out of her mind and focused on new found information.

1: Yashamaru was planning to kill Gaara soon.

2: Gaara was probably scared to death right now thinking she was going to die.

3: She had activated a part of her Kekkai Genkai.

4: She now had _2 _other souls living inside her.

5: This was going to be one crazy week.

She decided she would leave out the part about 'Itachi kissing me a lot' because, she would get nowhere if she was distracted by something like that.

Sakura looked around the room for some clothing she could change into. She found it by a corner. She guessed the nurse who was treating her put it there just in case she woke up anytime soon and no one was around.

She slowly stepped off the bed and made her way to the clothes. It was a bit hard considering she had very little chakra, and she had been in that same bed for well over a week. Her body was acting –due to the uncomfortable bed- and for lack of exercise and food.

Sakura made sure there was no one around, and then changed into the spare clothes. It was her clothes so she guessed maybe Itachi or someone else brought it up for her. Sakura was about ready to leave but looked around the room one last time to see if she was forgetting anything.

"_**Don't forget Gaara's bear Sakura. He would be devastated if it was lost." **_Matsuro said inside of Sakura's head.

"_Thanks for reminding me I think it's time he has his precious bear back with him" _Sakura thought as she quickly dashed for the bear and went towards the door.

She slowly opened the door a little bit and peeked around. She saw no one so she decided it was safe to go outside. The first thing she did, was look for a bathroom. She had not used it since she had fallen into the coma and her bladder was about to burst!

After she had finished that, she focused on finding some food, but decided against it because she decided she had to take a shower first and then see Gaara and tell him that she was okay and that most importantly, it was not his fault. She knew Gaara must feel it was his fault that Sakura was in the 'comma' even when it wasn't.

Sakura slowly walked out of the hospital, and looked for the KazeKage's office. From there she was sure she could find her way back to her room.

_Time Skip_

Sakura was now safely in her room and quickly went towards the shower. She did not find Gaara in there so she guessed maybe he was in the playroom she had first met him at.

Sakura quickly showered and put on some clothes. She then grabbed Gaara's teddy bear and headed towards the awaiting Gaara. She hoped he wasn't too depressed that she had been gone for 1 week.

She walked for about 5 minutes until she reached the door she had remembered was the playroom. She listened closely and as she suspected, heard children laughing; or more specifically, Temari and Kankuro. She slowly opened the door just a tiny bit and took a peek.

Temari was being entertained by throwing kunai and Kakashi while he was running around crying to his mommy. Kankuro was laughing in the sidelines at the poor Kakashi almost in tears. Temari had gotten a bit stronger since they last played 'Pin the Tail on the Kakashi' and now, he was starting to bleed even though they were just minor scratches.

Itachi was sitting on a chair with Gaara on his lap as he blanked out and fell deep into his own thoughts. Every once in a while he would look at Kakashi, and then stare at Gaara in… worry? She had only seen that emotion on Itachi 2 times before. The first was when Sakura was crying on his shoulder, and the second was when Sakura was in the hospital. And now he was showing worry for Gaara.

'_**Maybe he is changing' **_Matsuro commented.

"'**You're right, worry is like a whole new emotion for him.' **Inner Sakura said.

'_I wonder why he's acting like that now.'_ Sakura thought.

'**Why do you wonder when the answer is simple? You are the one who made him this way Sakura. I told you he was taking a liking to you!' **Inner Sakura said.

'_**Tsunade was right when she said you were the right person for this job. You can make people happier Sakura; even Itachi. His heart… it held so much pain and hurt before… it seems to have gotten lighter with every passing day you have been with him Sakura-chan.' **_Matsuro said.

'**My Itachi-kun is falling for us; I knew it!' **

'_He is not… now be quiet… we're focusing on Gaara… not Itachi!' _Sakura protested.

'**Okay then… have you noticed how Gaara has gotten closer to Itachi-kun? He hardly trusts anyone and he's sitting on Itachi-kun's lap… I wish I could sit on his lap.' **Inner Sakura thought sadly as she pictured her other-self sitting on Itachi's lap. She then started squealing like a crazed fan girl.

'_Stop squealing!! Your killing my ears!'_ Sakura said as she mentally covered her ears even though it wouldn't do anything. The noise was coming from the inside… not the outside. What a headache she could be! She was glad Matsuro was calm though… unlike someone she knew. Sakura glared just thinking about her.

'_**But it's true… something must have happened between them for that close bond to form. You can tell; Itachi wants to keep that bond close. I wonder what happened.' **_

'_I guess there's only one way to find out.' _Sakura thought as she formed a plan in her head.

Sakura softly put the teddy bear and the ground and connected it to some chakra strings. She moved it around and made it slowly open the door a bit more so its head could pop out… and so her plan began.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gaara was sitting on Itachi's lap worrying about Sakura. He felt like it was all his fault. Most of the time, everything was blamed on him anyway; even when it wasn't her fault. He didn't know why, but he felt safe around Itachi… kind of like he felt when he was around Sakura.

Sakura had showed so much trust and kindness towards Itachi so Gaara guessed it was okay if he did the same. And, just like he thought, Itachi was kind. He had a weird way of showing it, but Gaara could tell when someone was being kind to him. If they were not mean, then they were nice and Itachi was definitely not being mean.

Gaara wanted to go back to the hospital so badly to see Sakura, but he couldn't. Too many people would be afraid of him and rumors would spread that Gaara had put someone in the hospital because he was a 'monster'.

Not only did he want to go to the hospital to visit Sakura, but he also wanted to see his teddy bear. He was his only friend besides Ryuu, Rin, and Yuuki. He hadn't seen them lately; Gaara had to stay inside most of the time so he did not scare citizens.

He stared at the door saly but something caught his eye.

First he saw a stuffed hand grabbing the door. Soon enough, the stuffed animal's head popped out and Gaara was in shock. He was not in shock just because it was a teddy bear moving on its own… but because it was _his_ teddy bear moving on its own. Then he remembered… he left his teddy bear with Sakura in the hospital… then it clicked.

"Kuma-chan! **(Bear)**" Gaara yelled happily has he jumped off of Itachi's lap and ran towards the door. He knew who was behind that door… he just knew who it was. It had to be…!

Gaara opened the door in front of his but saw nothing but a small teddy bear on the floor. He looked around to find Sakura… but he couldn't find it. He stared back at his bear on the floor; lifeless as ever. Gaara sighed… why wasn't Sakura there? He now felt sad inside since his hopes were so high… but there was no Sakura.

He was about to grab the bear when it suddenly stood up on its own. Gaara stood there bewildered for a while. Okay, so the bear was moving… but where was Sakura?

The bear slowly pointed its paw towards the ceiling as if trying to show him something. He followed the direction of the paw and there he found…… and upside-down Sakura on the ceiling. She gave him a huge smile and slowly dropped from the ceiling and landed gracefully on the floor.

Gaara was silent for a while as if trying to process everything through his little head until…

"Sakura-neechan!" Gaara yelled excitedly.

Gaara's bewildered face slowly turned into a happy face and he ran towards Sakura and gave her a big hug. He was so glad she was back; and most of all, he was happy she was okay.

As soon as Sakura and Gaara had contact, she picked Gaara up and hugged him back. Sakura knew she probably shouldn't have used her chakra to stand on the ceiling; but seeing Gaara's happy smile was definitely worth it. She didn't care if she was low on chakra as it was; she would live. She just stood there and hugged Gaara back as if she hadn't seen him in forever… which for her, was a week.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Itachi suddenly heard Gaara yell out "Kuma-chan!" and got confused. He stared at Gaara as he jumped off his lap ad go outside. Itachi was about to think maybe this was Yashamaru's doing since Gaara did not come back for a while. He was about to stand up and go after Gaara when he heard him yell something…

"Sakura-neechan!"

Itachi's eyes widened for a fraction of a second… it couldn't be… could it? But he had checked a few hours ago… she had still been in the hospital. He looked at Kakashi for an explanation and found he was being attack by Temari and Kankuro who momentarily stopped their attack when they heard Sakura's name. Kakashi gave him a small shrug as if saying 'I have no clue what is going on either'.

Itachi slowly walked to the door and opened it revealing…... Sakura and Gaara hugging each other. Itachi couldn't believe it… she was finally out of the comma. Even though he wouldn't admit it… he had been worried sick about Sakura for the past week.

He missed the way her smiles made him feel better on the inside. And the way her eyes seemed to glisten every time they laid sight on him. And also the way she would hurt Kakashi… it never got old. There were so many things he had just realized he missed now that he was able to see Sakura again.

"…Sakura…" Itachi calmly stated even though he was actually quite happy on the inside.

By now, Kakashi, Temari, and Kankuro were at the door beside him seeing what was going on.

Sakura momentarily stopped her hug-fest with Gaara and stared at the 4 pairs of eyeballs staring at her as if she was a ghost… well… all besides 1 pair.

"Uhhmm… hi guys?" Sakura said as she gently put Gaara down.

"Sakura-neechan!" both Temari and Kankuro yelled as they ran towards Sakura and hugged her knees. Sakura slowly patted both of their heads in a loving manner.

Kakashi gently walked up to Sakura and put a hand on her shoulder. "Good to have you back; it's been torture without ya." Kakashi said goofily.

One by one, they all went back inside an waited for Sakura to do the same so they could talk and catch up on things until only one person was left.

They stood silent for a minute not knowing exactly what each should say. Sakura decided to break the silence first since, she could never take awkward silences.

"Itachi… I'm sorry for leaving you and Kakashi to take care of the children." Sakura started. She hoped she would get some sort of reply… even a "Hn" would be okay… but she got none so she decided to continue.

"I hope it wasn't too much tro-" Sakura started but she was cut off. Sakura felt warm arms wrap around her and she felt herself being pulled into a hug.

Sakura's eyes widened… why was Itachi acting this way? Why was he doing all these things to her? She wanted to know why… but she felt herself give in to the hug. She wanted to hug him back… but she was just so confused right now. She tried her best not to give in, but apparently she just didn't try hard enough.

Sakura slowly lifted her arms and returned the hug. They stood there like that for who knows when.

Kakashi appeared at the door ready to say something, "He-" but he cut himself off when he saw what they were doing. He showed a small smirk. He knew Itachi was falling for her; it was obvious. He quickly turned around and went to watch the kids before either of them found out he was there; and most importantly, before either of them found out he saw they hug.

After a few more minutes of hugging, they both let go of each other and just stared at the floor. Itachi because he had never been in that situation before and Sakura because deep down inside, she knew she was falling for Itachi; the same exact thing she had promised her other-self she would not do… just great!

"…I think we better get back." Sakura said suggestively. There was nothing else to say… or do in that matter.

"Hn" Itachi said as he went towards the door but stopped momentarily. "… I'm glad you're back." He said before he entered the room and left a confused Sakura behind.

'_He's glad I'm back?' _Sakura repeated in her mind.

'**That's as close to a confession as you'll ever get anytime soon Sakura darling.' **Inner commented.

'_That… that was not a confession!' _Sakura denied.

'_**You can think about that later. Everyone is waiting for you inside Sakura.' **_Matsuro said.

'_I guess you're right.' _Sakura said as she entered the door, and shut it behind her.

Most of the time Sakura spent with them, she stuck to Gaara. They spent the whole day in the playroom but went out a few times to go eat. Soon it was night time and they all went to sleep.

**In Sakura's and Gaara's Room**

Sakura was gently patting Gaara's smooth hair while he fell asleep. Sakura put on a black short, and a red tank top that went to her belly button while Gaara put on some brown sweat pants and a beige shirt.

When he finally did fall asleep, Sakura gently got up and got off the bed making sure she did not wake him in the process. Sakura slowly went towards the window, opened it up, and let the cool breeze pass by her. Sakura gently climbed out the window and went on the roof. She sat there with her knees to her chest just staring at the moon. So many things were going through her head right now. And all having to do with the same subject; Itachi.

What if her inner was right? What if Itachi really was falling for her?

'_What if… I was falling for him?' _Sakura thought.

She didn't want Itachi to fall for her; it would only complicate her mission, but deep down inside, she really hoped what her inner said was true.

'_Maybe… just maybe… if he felt the same way… I could at least feel a little bit happier knowing I have actually found a person that loves me back; unlike Sasuke. But then again… how could I live with myself knowing I have fallen in love with a person that betrayed Konoha?' _Sakura thought.

Sakura was being torn between her duties as a shinobi of Konoha, and between the person she was falling in love with. Yes, she would finally admit it; she was falling in love with Itachi Uchiha.

'_But what if Inner was wrong? What if Itachi doesn't really like me?' _Sakura thought.

What were the odds of Itachi actually liking her? I mean, Itachi Uchiha had been infamous for annihilating his clan, for wielding the Mangekyou, for his intelligent mind, and for his cold heart. He had never loved anyone -that was what everyone thought anyway. Why would he even show any _interest_ in her when she was just another person on the face of the planet? She was just another face living another normal life.

But Sakura didn't understand, she was not just another face living another life. She was Sakura Haruno, maybe the only Haruno left in all the lands. And her life, was definitely not normal. She was friends with the Kyuubi container, and formal friend with Sasuke Uchiha. Student of Hatake Kakashi and the fifth Hokage. Having one of the most promising futures in Konoha. And, having dealt with the annihilation of her clan at the mere age of 5. Yes, there was nothing about her that was just like every other person.

'_But… still… I know it… I'm falling for him. What can I do?' _Sakura asked herself worriedly. If she fell in love with Itachi… she would fail her mission. She wouldn't be able to kill him if she fell in love with him.

'_**Sakura darling… please, don't worry too much about it.' **_Matsuro said.

'_But what can I do Matsuro? I am falling in love with him when I shouldn't… Tsunade, Kakashi, Naruto, and anyone… they would never want me to fall in love with Itachi Uchiha of all people.' _Sakura said.

'_**Sakura, they do not choose who you fall in love with; you yourself do that. Besides, if they truly love you, they would accept who you chose, not try to kill him.' **_

' _I just can't do it… it would be like betraying Naruto Gaara and most of all, betraying Konoha and Suna.' _Sakura said as she dug her head between her knees and chest. She could picture Naruto's and Gaara's hurt expression on their faces if they found out she fell in love with Itachi.

'_**Sakura, please do not blame yourself, it hurts me to see you like this.'**_ Matsuro said worriedly.

'_I'll be okay Matsuro please, don't worry about me too much.' _

'_**As you wish, but do not blame yourself for falling in love with Itachi for it is nothing bad. Itachi-san… he is a good person at heart. Maybe… he is just misunderstood. I'm sure… if you are able to stop him from killing his clan… he would have a happy life, and so would you; together.' **_Matsuro said before she drifted off into nothingness.

Sakura sighed. She wished what Matsuro said was true. She wished that vision she had was true. But she could not be certain of it; after all, it might have only been a vision of what she had wanted to see and nothing else. But for now, she had to try her best to not fall in love with Itachi even more. She knew it would only cause pain later on. After all, that was what loving Sasuke had caused; more pain. Why would being with Itachi be any different?

How unlucky was Sakura? I mean, she fell in love with the 2 people who could never love her back. And they were _both _Uchihas'. That was even worse. Either Sakura was meant to live a lonely life with 27 cats, or she just had the worst taste in man. I mean sure they had the looks, brains, strength, and about everything else, but they had no heart, emotions, or kindness left in them whatsoever. If was as if they had been sucked away from them.

They were complete opposites, yet, Sakura couldn't help but feel attracted to them. I guess whoever made up that saying 'opposites attract' was right. Match the innocent and kind Sakura Haruno with the cold bad boy Itachi Uchiha.; they were _complete_ opposites. Maybe that was why she felt so attracted to him. Yes, they shared similarities like being the heirs of their clans and all that, but that was pretty much all they had in common.

Sakura never understood why it was herself that Itachi had fallen for. And now, she wished it wasn't her because she knew she would be in the most agony for so many reasons.

She would be in agony when he killed his clan.

When he left Konoha and became a missing-nin.

When he left one night without saying good bye or giving her an explanation.

When she might never see his face ever again.

When she saw him and cried because he was not like the old Itachi she used to know back then.

When she had to fight and or kill Itachi for her village.

And especially when she found out she and Itachi would never be together.

These things hurt Sakura deep inside. She knew if she could not stop Itachi from killing his clan, her chances of being with him would decrease dramatically. And they were already very low as it was to begin with.

Sakura sat there for a few more minutes until she decided she should go back to bed. She might have been asleep for a whole week, but having such a small amount of chakra really did ware a person out. Sakura gently crawled off the roof and went back to her room. She slowly shut the window so she would not wake Gaara up.

She slowly got in the bed and cuddled up to Gaara. He gave a small moan and grabbed the side of her shirt. Sakura slowly started to pat his head until he relaxed a bit and fell back to his deep sleep.

Sakura too closed her eyes and went to sleep. In her sleep, she just kept having dreams about Itachi; just great. She was trying to forget about him and yet, she finds herself dreaming about him. Nevertheless, Sakura thought nothing since -even though she knew she shouldn't- she actually liked the dream.

It was herself sitting down on Itachi's lap just staring at the view of the mountains. It was peaceful and it was quiet. So in peace, Sakura enjoyed her wonderful dream while it lasted. Tomorrow she would have to go with the plan and try to avoid Itachi.

It was for the best if she wanted to prevent falling in love with him even more. She knew Inner Sakura would be mad, Matsuro would be worried, and most of all, her own heart would be screaming in agony. I mean, she had to avoid the person she was falling for. Even if it was for the best, Sakura knew her heart would be shattering.

**With Itachi**

Itachi didn't know why, but he felt as if he needed to hug her. He needed to feel her touch, to smell her scent; it seemed just being near her was just not enough anymore. It seemed he was able to control himself; just watching her from a distance had been enough to satisfy him. But then it was like she had left him for a whole week. He missed her smile, her melodic voice, her emerald colored eyes, he missed seeing and hearing her.

He couldn't help himself. As he laid on his bed, he couldn't seem to get her off of his mind. He tossed and turned trying to find a suitable way to fall asleep, but it seemed he couldn't find one. It was as if his mind was rejecting every position because it only wanted to think about Sakura.

After a few more minutes of uneasiness, Itachi gently got up and headed for the roof. He usually went there when he needed to think and or sort out his thoughts. He gently laid there and stared at the moon.

Why was Sakura doing this to him? Why? He had asked himself that many times before while Sakura was in her comma. Why was it he was all of a sudden feeling all these different emotions for a girl who had only showed up in his life about 2 weeks ago?

He wanted to be with her, he knew it, but he knew it could never be. Itachi knew what he was meant to do. He knew Sakura would never accept him after he had done all those horrible things. Sakura was sweet and innocent while he, was cold and brutal. Itachi knew he would never hesitate to kill if needed while Sakura, would only kill if necessary.

Maybe Itachi liked Sakura because she was so innocent; the exact thing he was not. Maybe, she completed him; made him feel human again.

The only way he could possibly be with her was if he did not accept the mission Danzo had given him. But if he didn't do it, he would just find someone else to do it; he knew that for sure. There was no way Sakura would accept him as a missing-nin though.

Even if he did not accept the mission, how did he know for certain Sakura felt the same as he did? Sakura was kind to him; he had never experienced such kindness, but Sakura showed that care and compassion to everyone too, well, a bit less towards Kakashi even though he could tell she cared about him deeply. Maybe being with Sakura was just a far off dream he would never reach.

'_But when I held her in my arms… when I touched her skin… it just felt so… so right. I have never felt like that before… why is it I feel it for her?' _Itachi thought.

Itachi never understood why exactly it was her. Why was it her he fell in love with? Why was she the only reason he was hesitating to help Konoha? He had never gone against a mission. And he would not have gone against the mission to kill his clan if it was for Konoha, so why was this one pink-haired girl was now making him question his decision? Was her bright smile and cheery attitude all that powerful? Was it really able to cure his heart of the loneliness he had been feeling throughout most of his life? And why was it able to affect him so quickly?

It seemed Tsunade really knew what she was talking about when she told Sakura she was able to heal even the darkest of hearts. If Sasuke had stuck around longer, he would have been able to eventually see it past his dark past. Even now, Itachi was being affected by it when she had only been there for about 2 weeks… and 1 whole week she wasn't even doing anything; she just laid there on a bed.

Itachi slowly snapped out of his thoughts when he felt someone's presence. And that person was the one and only… Sakura!

Itachi stood in the same position and kept his eyes on her. She seemed to not have noticed him but instead, was too busy with her thoughts to even realize anyone was ever there besides herself. He watched her as she sat down and stared at the moon. Occasionally, her face expression would change from happy, to confused, to hurt, to nervousness, and all other emotions in between.

Whatever she was thinking about, it was keeping her from sleeping; it was obvious. And then Itachi realized, it would most likely be the same reason he couldn't get to sleep. They were both thinking about each other.

Itachi could always read Sakura like an open book. He could tell Sakura pretty much could guess the way he felt about her, but he could tell, she was still unsure about his true feelings and intentions. She might just think that Itachi was interested in her or had a liking to her.

But then Itachi wondered why exactly she felt hurt. Was it because she thought it was all just pretend or a joke? Or was it something much deeper than that?

Itachi kept staring at Sakura until she went back to her room through the window. He heard the window shut gently and he let out a mental sigh. Oh how he wished he could see what was going on in Sakura's head right now. He wanted to know why she felt hurt, but most of all, he wanted to know what were her own feelings towards him. Did she like him as well? Did she just think of him as a friend, or even worse, just another face?

Itachi decided to give it a rest for now. He had had enough thinking for the night and seeing that Sakura had been happy for a slight moment while thinking of him, assured him just a little there might be a _slight _chance with Sakura even though the chances were still very slim.

Itachi went to his own room and went to bed being careful as to not wake Kankuro up. Tomorrow would be a long day and he felt deep inside of him that he would not like the next few days for some reason. Itachi drifted off to sleep where his dreams were haunted by 3 things.

1: The mission he was given.

2: Sakura's reaction if he were to accept the mission.

3: Sakura if she and himself were together.

Itachi did not enjoy number 1, and number 2 was even worse, but he felt happy when dream number 3 took place. It gave him some more reassurance that maybe… just maybe… he would live a happy life with the woman he loved in the future.

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Okay! The chapter is done! Please tell me how you liked it! I know I haven't updated in quite a while and I am sorry but I've been really busy with school with all the big tests coming up and… I had to share my computer with my brother and that itself really shortened the time I could use the computer so don't blame me!**

**Another reason I have not updated in a while was because I came up with a few ideas for new stories which I may… or may not post up. It depends on whether I like it, and think it is good enough to post up. I will put a summary here to tell you about an idea I had. If you like the summary, please tell me and I may consider posting it up! So here it is!**

**Full Summary: Sakura is an ordinary girl living an ordinary life but always felt like something was missing. But what happens when people start appearing and tell her she is not in the right world and she has powers beyond imagination? She goes with them and finds her true happiness. But will locked up memories destroy her happiness once she arrives? Who is the one to destroy her happiness and why is he doing it? Will her happiness last with the person she loves, or will her power be too much to handle?**

**Okay, there it is! That story too, is meant to be another Itachi x sakura so if you liked the summary, please let me know!**

**Anyway… on to this story….**

**I hope you read that chapter I deleted before you read this one, but if you didn't I suggest you read it now!**

**Next Chapter: (Title Still Unknown)**

**Update Time: 1-3 weeks… I added an additional week because I still have to share computer with brother, and I have a lot of homework to do for the next few weeks so bare with me!**

**Now please review and tell me what you think of the chapter! I would much appreciate it!**

**-Marzy-chan!**


	14. Fevers Help Fix Relationships

**Hello! My next chapter is up! This is the final chapter for the 100-review challenge. **

**Anyway! On to this story! I hope you enjoy and review at the end… goodness I love those reviews!!**

**Inners**

_**Matsuro**_

_Flashbacks, thoughts, (speaking to inners) or emphasizing_

Normal POV

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters (besides my ocs')**

_Recap_

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_Itachi went to his own room and went to bed being careful as to not wake Kankuro up. Tomorrow would be a long day and he felt deep inside of him that he would not like the next few days for some reason. Itachi drifted off to sleep where his dreams were haunted by 3 things._

_1: The mission he was given._

_2: Sakura's reaction if he were to accept the mission._

_3: Sakura if she and himself were together._

_Itachi did not enjoy number 1, and number 2 was even worse, but he felt happy when dream number 3 took place. It gave him some more reassurance that maybe… just maybe… he would live a happy life with the woman he loved in the future._

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**Chapter 13: Fevers Help Fix Relationships**

Sakura woke up and gently got off the bed so she did not wake up Gaara. She then got a towel and some clothes and headed for the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and stared at herself in the mirror for a minute. Today was the day her plan would start. She had to try to avoid Itachi. It had to be done if she didn't want to fall for him; it would only make things worse.

Sakura saw herself sadden in the mirror at the thought. She didn't want to avoid him, yet… she knew she had to, for the sake of Konoha. Falling in love with him would not bring any good to anything; it would not solve any problems.

Sakura decided she would not think about it anymore and started to take a shower. Today would be a long day; she knew it. She wondered how Itachi would deal with the avoidance though.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Itachi woke up with a very weird gut feeling in his stomach. Ever since last night, he couldn't help but feel something would go wrong. His life… it had gotten better since his Sakura had arrived, but right now, he felt as if something was about to happen. Something was just off this morning. Every morning had been good since Sakura's arrival… but now… now, he just didn't know.

Itachi quickly took a shower, got dressed, and waited for Temari to finish getting dressed so they could go eat with Sakura, Gaara, Kakashi, and Kankuro.

**Time Skip**

Itachi and Temari were making their way down the hall when they spotted Gaara and Sakura.

"Hi Sakura-neechan! Hi Gaara!" Temari yelled as she ran after them and gave them each a hug.

Sakura turned around, and stared down at Temari.

"Good morning Temari, how are you?" Sakura asked as she showed Temari her famous smile.

"I'm good. Itachi and I were about to get breakfast." Temari explained.

Sakura looked up at Itachi and stared at him for a few seconds with a blank expression. Itachi was waiting… waiting for _his _smile. Yes, Sakura had always given him a special smile. It was special because it made his day a bit happier. And –even though he did not know it- it was special because Sakura's smile was extra big when it came to Itachi. Itachi waited… but nothing came his way. He looked at Sakura straight in the face and as soon as he did, Sakura's face expression turned into a nervous one and she looked back at Gaara.

"I guess we should all go eat then. I'm sure Kakashi is already there." Sakura said as she grabbed Gaara's hand in one hand, and Temari's hand in the other and got ready to walk.

"Itachi-niisan you coming?" Gaara asked innocently.

There was a moments silence. "…Hn" Itachi said before he started walking towards them. Sakura started walking ahead before he could even catch up to them which, really puzzled him. Sakura was not one to leave someone behind. So, why was it she was leaving him behind? Why was it she didn't want to talk to him? Or even look at him? Whatever it was, Itachi felt 3 emotions grow inside of him; depression, confusion, and anger.

The whole way Itachi stared at the back of Sakura's head and pondered as to what could have caused her to have this sort of reaction towards him. Did he do something wrong? Could it have been they hug he gave her? Itachi didn't think so because she would have avoided him yesterday. But what if she was thinking about it yesterday? Maybe that was why she was up in the roof. The more Itachi thought Sakura was avoiding him because of the hug, the more hurt he felt inside. Itachi was deep inside his thoughts now thinking that it was that hug.

After a few minutes of thinking to himself, he concluded that maybe Sakura woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But that didn't explain why she said good morning to Temari, but not him. So that option was scratched out. He then just decided to stick with 'it was all just his imagination'. It really didn't make sense, but Itachi did not want to think about it too much since, the more he thought about it, the clearer it got. She was definitely avoiding him.

As Sakura was walking down the hall, she glanced back at Itachi to see what he was doing. It seemed he was deep inside his own thoughts but Sakura could see hurt in his eyes. Was she hurting him that much?

'_Oh no, what have I done. I am really hurting Itachi. How am I supposed to keep doing this?' _Sakura thought.

'**Sakura! You're making poor Itachi-kun sad! Why are you avoiding him like this!' **inner said as she mentally cried inside her brain.

'_I'll explain later inner. But I have to… if I want the mission to succeed… I have to.' _Sakura thought before she shut down the complaining inner and focused on the real world. They walked for about five more minutes until they arrived at the place they were going to go eat at; Gaara and Temari were talking loudly to each other while both Sakura and Itachi stayed quiet and zoned out. As Sakura had said, Kakashi was already there with Kankuro waiting for them.

"Good morning you guys." Kakashi said with a small smile.

"Good morning Kakashi" Gaara said softly.

"Good morning Kakashi" Temari said evilly.

Kakashi waited for the other 2 to greet him, but they did not.

"Hello, Sakura-chan, you there?" Kakashi asked as Sakura walked right past him and didn't even noticed he was there.

"Oh… good morning Kakashi." Sakura said as she showed a wake smile, and sat down as she again, ignored the world and everyone in it for a while.

'_Okay then… maybe it's just her.' _Kakashi thought and moved on to his next victim; Itachi.

Kakashi approached Itachi and as soon as he opened his mouth, Itachi snapped out of his thoughts, and glared an evil glare at Kakashi. Kakashi sweat dropped, and backed away slowly.

'_So maybe it isn't just Sakura' _Kakashi thought as he sat down in between Temari and Kankuro.

Sakura looked around the seating arrangement and saw how everyone was sitting. It was a round table and the only spot available was next to Itachi. Sakura quickly looked around, and saw that Gaara was sitting 1 seat away from Itachi. Sakura quickly lifted Gaara up, sat down, and sat him down on her lap.

"How about you eat with me today Gaara-chan?" Sakura asked goofily.

Gaara blushed a small pink shade "Hai" he said.

Itachi sat there and glared at the floor. Something was definitely going on with Sakura. Know he knew she was avoiding him for some unknown reason and, he intended to find out… some way or another… he would. Itachi quickly started over some plans he could go through, but immediately decided against them since all of them involved harming Sakura via torture or something near those terms. Itachi mentally sighed. Today was going to be a long, and awful day.

They all soon ate their breakfast in complete silence each thinking about something else.

Itachi was thinking of a way to find out why Sakura was avoiding him.

Sakura was thinking about more ways she could avoid Itachi _but _not hurt his feelings though, it was impossible.

Kakashi was trying to figure out what might have happened to Sakura and Itachi to cause they to act so… weird today. Itachi was extra cranky and mad while Sakura became less cheery and more quiet. Things were definitely not right around here and Kakashi intended to find out.

Temari was thinking of ways she could torture Kakashi more. Maybe some pore 'pin the tail on the Kakashi'. Or maybe so more kunai practice? Kakashi really was a good target to practice on. He always moved so her accuracy was increasing dramatically even if she was only 7 years old.

Kankuro was thinking about what Temari would do to Kakashi today. It was always something new and no matter what, it amused him to no end. His favorite was actually target practice since, he would actually join in occasionally. It would proof to be good practice when they actually became genins.

Gaara was thinking about last night. He wasn't really asleep when Sakura had climbed out the window. He was worried about her and forced himself to stay up the whole time until she came back. He wondered if maybe it was that hug Itachi had given her since, he was actually peeking through the door. He was happy for Sakura. She seemed to be truly happy with Itachi by her side but since this morning, she had been acting weird. Gaara was pretty young, but he knew so much about his mother figure already even if she had only been with him for about more than a week. And she wasn't even there for 1 week; she was in the hospital.

Gaara could see it in her eyes. She was afraid to love and trust him. After all, it was the same look he always had before Sakura came here. He feared almost everyone and he didn't trust or love anyone but Yashamaru, Kankuro, and Temari. He knew that expression well, and he could see that same expression in Sakura's eyes when she would look at Itachi. It worried him slightly; was there something she knew about him that no one else did?

Gaara had stayed with Itachi for the past week when Sakura was gone and even though he had a strange way of showing it, he showed compassion and Gaara really like that since he hardly ever got that from someone.

As soon as all their breakfasts were done, they each left and decided that maybe going shopping would be a nice idea, after all, Sakura was aching to dress up Kankuro, Gaara, and especially Temari. Temari would always refuse to go shopping for all these types of clothing just because she lever liked shopping. After all she was the only girl of 3 so she usually stuck to boy stuff. Now, Temari was at her mercy and Sakura would spend a nice time _finally _being able to pick an outfit out for Temari.

Hours and hours went by. Sakura was currently waiting for Temari to leave the dressing room. She had made Temari try on a simple light blue dress with a simple white ribbon under the chest which went about 6 inches under the knees and a white hat with a blue ribbon around the top. It looked absolutely gorgeous that Sakura had made Temari buy it. The second dress was a plain white dress which went a bit higher than her knees.

"Come out and let us look at you." Sakura argued.

"I look like a clown." Temari counter-argued.

"Don't make me pull you out myself." Sakura threatened.

"Only if you promise that after this we can go to the weapon shop." Temari said.

"Deal" Sakura quickly agreed.

It was simple, but it fit her perfectly. Sakura guessed Temari went well with plain, which would explain why all of her clothing were lacking color. Most of it was black, red, and white though she would occasionally see blue.

Over all, Temari had bought 2 dresses, 1 hat, and a pair of shoes. Sakura also bought some clothes for Gaara and Kankuro but decided to keep it at a minimum since, she did not have that much money.

"Weapon time?" Temari asked as she once again came out from the dressing room in her regular clothes.

"Yeah, weapon time" Sakura said as she grabbed Gaara's and Temari's hands, and walked towards the cashier. Sakura bought the clothes quickly, and exited with Kakashi, Itachi, and Kankuro following shortly behind. The whole time everyone was silent. That is, until Sakura passed by a medical shop. Sakura stared through the window in want. She really enjoyed anything to do with medicine.

"Kakashi, can you take the kids real fast to the weapon shop while I look around here?" Sakura asked.

"But then you'll be left all alone." Kakashi commented until a light bulb went on in his head. "How about you have Itachi accompany you?" he suggested.

Sakura really wanted to say no, and yes. But mostly no since, she had to go on with the plan, but, she didn't want to be _too _obvious that she was ignoring him.

"Ughh… but I don't think Itachi wants to-" Sakura said but was cut off.

"I'll go" Itachi said quickly. Maybe this could be the time to talk to her. It was perfect, they would be all alone so they could talk in private.

Sakura sighed. "Okay… we'll meet up with you in a few minutes. Sakura said as she and Itachi walked away to the store. Sakura stayed quiet and tried to not even look at him even though, he wasn't trying to avoid any type of contact. He kept staring at her; she could feel it. His eyes were just boring holes on the side of her face but nevertheless, Sakura pretended and acted as if she felt and so nothing, even though she was not doing a very good job at it.

'_God damn it! I can't avoid him when he glares at me making me tense!' _Sakura screamed inside her head.

'**It's simple, just stop avoiding him. Things would go back to normal.' **Inner Sakura commented.

'_**I actually agree with her Sakura. We'll talk about this later.' **_Matsuro said as she and Inner Sakura disappeared into her mind as soon as they came. Sakura sighed. What exactly was there to talk about?

Sakura and Itachi entered the store and Sakura immediately went towards the herbs section. She saw a quite a few, but none really grabbed her attention. She went through most of the isles until only the medical books were left. Sakura realized some of the books were worn, used, and some even torn a little. Sakura guessed maybe most of them were really old, or were just not taken care of really well.

Sakura was about to give up hope in finding a book, until a small scarlet book caught her attention. It was torn and worn out; obviously because it was old. Sakura paused momentarily to examine the book more carefully. The spine was a bit broken, but in good enough condition. The title said 'The Healing Eye' and then the rest was scratched out and was illegible. Sakura was curious about the small book and carefully picked it out of the shelf. She skimmed through the first pages and was able to read a few parts.

'The healing of'

'Simple but dangerous'

'Understanding the eyes is critical'

'understanding the eye techique'

Sakura's eyes widened a bit. This couldn't be it… could it?

"Have you found something you like?" Itachi asked out of nowhere. Sakura jumped up a little in surprise and nodded a bit frightened. Itachi looked at her warily. "Shall we pay for it and go then?" Sakura nodded and both of them walked towards the cashier. Sakura put the book on the counter carefully and watched as the old woman working at the cashier stared at it warily. Her eyes widened a bit.

"I'm sorry, but this book is not for sale." The woman said as she tried to take the book away.

"one thousand yen" Sakura quickly said and the old woman froze in her steps and stared at Sakura with curiosity.

"I'll pay one thousand yen for it" Sakura said quickly.

"I'm sorry dearie… but this here book is not for sa-"

"one thousand five hundred." Sakura added. Sakura could tell the old woman was tempted. Sakura quickly glanced around the store. She could tell the woman really needed the money.

"I…" the woman said hesitantly.

"Two thousand yen" Sakura finally said. She really needed the book. That small book could contain the secret to healing eye techniques. Maybe even including the Sharingan. She was pretty sure in her present time this book would be destroyed looking at its current condition. This book was also, very dangerous and important. If the Itachi over there ever got his hands on this book, it would really be big trouble.

"Deal… but tell no one of this." The woman whispered so it was only audible to Sakura. Sakura nodded and got out the rest of her money and give it to the woman. That was great. It left her completely broke with only a few more yen to spend. Sakura's souls literally went out of her body.

'**Sakura you left us broke again damn it!' **Inner Sakura screamed in her head.

'_All for a good cause inner' _Sakura quickly commented as she shoved her inner back into her deep mind and focused on the issue at hand which was Itachi staring at her weirdly as she grabbed the book protectively and walked out with Itachi following.

"You paid 2,000 yen for a worn out book?" Itachi asked as he raised an eyebrow. Sakura glared at him but decided against saying anything because, then she would be breaking the whole 'ignore him' plan.

When Sakura didn't reply to Itachi, he immediately glared at felt the anger flare up inside him. She was definitely doing this on purpose. He stopped dead in his footsteps and balled his hands into fists. She was now really starting to worry him. What did he do wrong? Why was she acting this way? He quickly caught up to her before she noticed he had stopped. He had to talk to her; before he went crazy trying to figure out what was wrong… but when?

"S-" He began but then stopped because he realized, they were already in front of the weapon shop. Sakura quickly went in not wanting to be next to Itachi any longer. It was nerve wrecking and Sakura could not take it anymore. She could feel Itachi glaring the whole time they took to get the weapon shop and Sakura felt really tense.

Sakura searched for her group, and found Temari eyeing a big fan.

'_It looks exactly like her fan'_ Sakura thought before she walked up to them and bended down next to Temari.

"You like this one?" Sakura asked.

"Like it? I love it!" Temari said. Temari turned around and sighed sadly though. "I can't have this either way." She said sadly.

Sakura immediately felt bad and said maybe she could buy it for her, but then remembered, her wallet was going slim… fast! She did not have enough money left to buy too much. And Sakura knew she shouldn't spend all her money.

"How about we make a deal Temari?" Sakura asked. Temari got curious and decided to listen.

"If you behave good for the remaining time I shall be here, when I go back to Konoha and get more money, I'll buy that same exact fan for you… how about it?" Temari contemplated the deal.

"Does that mean no more Pin the Tail on the Kakashi?" Temari asked with an adorable pout. When Temari mentioned that, Kakashi inwardly jumped up and down.

"Hmm, it's for your ninja skills so I'll let you pass on that." Sakura said with a wicked smile on her face.

Temari turned around towards Kakashi and showed an evil, yet innocent smile. "You hear that Kakashi, we can still play." Kakashi felt his soul leave his body. This mission was supposed to be 1 month. It had already been about 2.

'_Two more weeks of hell Kakashi. Come on you can do this; you're an ANBU after all' _Kakashi thought as he stared at the evil Temari, and gulped. It was rather shameful for an _ANBU_ to get beaten up by a _7-year-old _girl… don't you think? But then again… it wasn't like Kakashi _was_ trying to fight back… he was just… dodging the incoming objects threatening to injure him.

"It's a deal!" Temari yelled excitedly. After all, she was not a big trouble maker, and she could still play with Kakashi so she would surely earn her weapon in no time!

All 6 of them exited the store and went to a food stand where they sold smoothies. They each bought themselves some smoothies, and sat down at a table wondering what they would do next.

"How about, we visit the puppetry store for you Kankuro," Sakura said as she pointed at Kankuro. "and then head to a toy store for Gaara-chan?" Sakura suggested before she took a sip of her smoothie.

"That sounds great!" Kankuro said. Sakura stared at Gaara, and he nodded excitedly.

"It's settled then! How about we finish up our smoothies before we go?" Sakura said.

All the kids nodded and Gaara and Kankuro quickly finished because they wanted to go, and waited for everyone else to finish. Sakura was too busy with her conversation she never noticed Itachi staring, or somewhat glaring at Sakura. Gaara did though.

Gaara noticed Sakura had been avoiding Itachi and was curious as to why. Gaara knew they usually got along great because he could see the way Sakura's eyes would usually light up when she saw Itachi. Now, it seemed to go dull with sadness and nervousness. Gaara stared at Itachi curiously. Itachi was a good guy… so why was it she was avoiding him? Gaara made himself a reminder to ask her about it later. Surely she would tell her, after all, he was just an innocent little boy. Plus, Gaara wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong between his nee-chan and his nii-chan. And who knew, maybe they would become his kaa-san and his otou-san… maybe someday…

-

Sakura and Gaara opened the door to their room, and put their stuff on a table. Kankuro had bought himself a book that said how to make puppets, how to control them, and everything else. The book's name was _'All About Puppet Mastery'_. Kankuro wanted to know all he could about them.

Sakura and Gaara then tossed themselves on the bed with arms spread wide in exhausting and let out big sighs.

"Today was a long day wasn't it?" Sakura said as she turned to look at Gaara. Gaara nodded and they both stared at each other for a few seconds before they giggled.

Gaara suddenly remembered what he had told himself. Gaara stood up and Sakura stared at him in curiosity.

"Sakura-neechan, can I ask you something?" he said.

"Anything Gaara-chan she said as she picked him up and put him on his lap.

"Why… are you avoiding Itachi-niisan?" he asked.

Sakura's eyes widened and she stared at Gaara in shock. Such a young boy could tell so much… such a smart little kid he was.

"How about I tell you a story first… maybe you'll understand after. Sakura said as she picked them up, and went on the bed closest to the window so they could stare at it. By now, it was already dark.

"You know what it means when a person is in love right?" Sakura asked.

Gaara nodded. "It means they have strong feelings for another person right? And that they would do almost anything for them." Gaara explained. Sakura nodded and she continued.

"Well… you could say I used to be in love with someone. I was willing to do anything for him; even risk my life over and over again for them.

"Did that person love you back?" Gaara asked.

"That's the thing… he didn't. He always called me annoying and he would tell me to leave him alone and to not bother him."

"Why did you fall in love with someone so… mean?" Gaara asked. Sakura gave a small laugh.

"He… he was similar to Itachi. He cares about people… but he has a weird way of showing it." Sakura explained.

"What happened to him?" Gaara asked.

"He left" Sakura explained.

"…He… left?"

"You see, he had a harsh childhood… and his whole family died because someone killed them all off. He promised he would get his revenge on that person by destroying him someday. He left the village… to get stronger. He betrayed my village all for some stupid revenge." Sakura explained as a tear drop fell. Just because she wasn't supposed to love him, didn't mean it wouldn't hurt.

"Uhh…" Gaara said hesitantly. He had never seen his nee-chan cry before. Actually, he had never seen anyone cry before who he should comfort.

Sakura wiped away her tears and continued. "He left me on a cold bench crying. A close friend promised me he would bring him back for me someday and he trained hard. I also trained hard in hopes that we would one day bring him back. One day, we caught up with him… and…"

"…and…?" Gaara repeated.

"And… he tried to kill us." Sakura said sadly. "The thing is… after all of that… I was never able to really forget about him… until now. He hurt me so much… too much." Sakura explained.

"What does he have to do with Itachi-niisan?" Gaara asked.

"Well… these two guys… They are… very similar. And like before, I fell in love with someone who I know I will never be with due to some circumstances." Sakura explained. "You could say… I'm just afraid to get hurt all over again." Sakura said with a sad smile as she wiped away her tears. "It's kind of like you Gaara-chan."

"What… do you mean?" Gaara asked.

"When I first met you… you were scared and you avoided any type of contact. It was because you were afraid… afraid to get hurt once again… weren't you? It's just that our hurt is a bit different. My hurt was emotional while yours was physical… or maybe both?" Sakura explained.

"Yes… but I overcame my fear. You can took Sakura-neechan. I want you two… to be together." Gaara said sadly.

"Why is that Gaara?" Sakura asked.

"You… are like the okaa-san I've always but never had. And while you were gone… Itachi took care of me. He was nice to me… kind of like you were except he had a different way of showing it. He was like my outo-san. I thought maybe… you could be my Okaa-san… and him my Outo-san… and we could be… a happy family. Just like those you always see. I wanted to become one of those families… so I could become happy." Gaara said sadly as he wiped away tears that were threatening to come out.

"Oh Gaara…" Sakura said sadly as she hugged Gaara tenderly. He was starting to remind her more and more of Naruto. He was searching. He was beginning… beginning to search for his family just like Naruto did back then. Naruto found all his friends and family in Konoha… and Gaara was discovering his family in Sakura and Itachi.

Sakura was washed up in sadness. She knew Itachi and herself were the closest thing Gaara could get to happiness… and yet… was she willing to do it? Not only for Gaara, but for herself too? She was now having second doubts and actually avoiding him. She wished she felt nothing for him… kind of like Sasuke felt nothing for Sakura. She wished she could just kill him and get back to her present time where she would live a lonely life since, she could now not be with Sasuke either.

Sakura slowly patted Gaara until he fell asleep where he had happy thoughts if Sakura, Itachi, and himself and a happy family with no worries. Sakura gently laid Gaara on the bed and like before, snuck through the window, to the roof. Sakura sat down in the exact same spot, in the same position with her knees hugged closely to her chest.

'**That sure is sad' **Inner commented.

'_Why do u have to be faced with these problems?!' _Sakura said frustrated.

'_**Do you see how you are not only hurting yourself and Itachi by doing this? You're also hurting Gaara… and maybe even Sasuke because like this you are ruining the chances of him living a normal life' **_Matsuro explained.

'_But… I'm afraid.'_

'**Afraid of what Sakura?! It's obvious he likes you too'**

'_I'm afraid of getting hurt again! I know this could never happen! It would never work! He's just like another Sasuke whom I'm not meant to be with!' _Sakura screamed inside her head.

'_**But this is different! He feels the same way about you don't you see it? You guys **__**can **__**be together. It's more likely that it was with Sasuke.' **_Matsuro insisted.

'_No it's not Matsuro… its less likely… because I may or may not go back to the present… I may or may not have to kill him… he may or may not kill his clan… It's too complicated!' _ Sakura yelled as she started crying. Her heart was being torn into 3 parts.

1, Into what she had to do for the village. 2, what she should do for herself. 3, what would be the best for others.

Through all of this, Sakura was too busy listening to her inners that were trying to comfort her she didn't notice the shadowy figure once again staring at her.

-

Itachi sensed Sakura's chakra signature and sensed she was going up on the roof once again. He hid his chakra and followed her to the roof hiding himself. He was going to talk to her this time… that was… until she broke down in tears. Was this his fault too? He stared in sadness as the girl he had possibly fell in love with cried… was it because of him, or some other reason, he did not know. But he knew it was best if he did not reveal himself and try to comfort her because she was obviously avoiding him now… and she would most likely not want to talk to _him _of all people right now at a time like this.

Itachi mentally sighed and went back to his room. He couldn't stand the sight of Sakura without taking action and he should do nothing right now. It was best if she cleared her head and thought so she could get her thoughts together before he would talk to her.

-

After a long time of crying her eyes out, Sakura finally stopped. It had started raining slightly about 20 minutes ago and Matsuro and Inner Sakura had begged Sakura to go inside and warm up before she caught a cold, but it was too late… she was already coming down with something. Sakura gave a loud sneeze.

'**I think you have a fever now… it's pretty hot in here…' **Inner said as she mentally glared at Sakura for the rise in temperature in their head.

'_**Sakura, get inside before you pass out of exhaustion' **_ Matsuro ordered strictly in a motherly tone.

'_Hai…' _Sakura said as she stood up and started walking slowly towards the window before. She reached the edge before…………

-

Itachi stared intently out the window. It had started raining about 20 minutes ago and he could still sense her up there. She had definitely gotten a cold right now… she was, after all, in her ninja clothing which was not very warm and covered only a bit of skin. Itachi decided he would go and check on her to make sure she was okay… just to make sure he told himself. He climbed out the window and appeared on the roof just in time to see Sakura walking slowly. He eyed her and could tell she could pass out any minute. And then all of a sudden…………

_She Slipped_

'_**Sakura!' **_ Matsuro and Inner Sakura yelled. She was falling of the roof and Sakura was too dizzy to even do anything to stop what could be, her death.

Itachi's eyes widened and in less than a split second he was at Sakura's side holding her hand, keeping her from falling of the roof. The rest of her body lay limp in the air as she squinted her eyes trying to see who was holding on to her. She felt herself being pulled up before she met coal dark eyes. She knew those eyes… they were definitely…

"Ita…chi…" she whispered before she fainted.

Itachi picked her up bridal style and made his way to his window. He laid her on the bed and checked her temperature; she was burning up. He had to change her clothes… but _he _couldn't do that. He got an idea and what rushing to the room next door; Kakashi's. He knocked on the door and waited a few seconds only to be greeted by Temari. He quickly grabbed her hand and led her to his room while she asked him what he was doing.

Itachi pointed to Sakura. "She has a high fever. Can you dispose of her clothes and… well… _change _her?" Itachi said with a glare. Temari checked Sakura's temperature, and she was indeed, burning up.

"Get me some of her clothes from the other room and get Kankuro out of here. Also get me some warm water and a cloth." Temari said. She remembered when Gaara had once gotten a fever similar to this one because he was running from the villagers while it was raining. She had experience, and she knew exactly what do.

Itachi quickly did as he was told. First he quickly picked the sleeping Kankuro and put him in Kakashi's room. Then he went to Sakura's room, and quickly got her some clothes. He returned to his room with the clothes and then went to his bathroom to get the warm water, and the cloth.

"And now… you leave" Temari said as she kicked him out and got right down to work.

Temari quickly changed her clothes, and disposed of the wet ones. She then dipped the cloth in the warm water, and put it on Sakura's forehead. Temari got out a few blankets and covered Sakura with them. She then opened the door and let Itachi come in, who was now leaning on the wall with Kakashi on his side.

Itachi stared at her waiting for her to speak.

"She'll be fine if we let her rest. Now, Good, Night" Temari said sleepily as she went to her room and shut the door.

"Well, I should be going back to bed too… but Kankuro is occupying my bed so I guess I'll take Sakura's. Night" He said with a wave of his hand before he disappeared at the door. And now, the only available bed was Kankuro's… meaning he would be sleeping next to Sakura.

Itachi quickly grabbed a dry towel and dried himself off before he too caught a cold. He then got in the bed next to Sakura's and stared at her. She was such a clumsy girl… he didn't quite understand how exactly she was an ANBU. She was clumsy, loud, and wild. She also forgot the number 1 rule of being a ninja. Showing emotions is showing weakness. This was why, she was over all, glared at her. She was imperfect and he hated it.

His eyes soon softened. But after all, it was her imperfection that made him feel whole. Her clumsiness made him amused, which let him know he had the right to have a happy life. Her loudness made him annoyed which let him know, he too had emotions no matter how much he hid them. And her wild side, made him happy knowing… he was somehow able to tame her wildness. And besides, you can't love someone who you don't have the capacity to hate. That saying must be true since… he hated her, yet loved her.

An yet… knowing he was human made him a bit uncomfortable. The human body and mind has so many flaws. He was supposed to be the perfect heir to the Uchiha Clan. He couldn't be imperfect. Now knowing he had grown such feelings for her, made him feel weak and worthless. His whole life he had spent trying to eliminate such emotions so that he could be the perfect son and heir his parents had always wanted. But he was under so much pressure he had always failed to see that they had also wanted his happiness too. Fugaku might be super strict, but all parents to what they do for their children. He probably had good intentions and that's what counts right?

He hated it… he hated it all. He hated his life, his parents… and his love. He hated how much he loved her… and yet, it wasn't like he could help falling in love with her was it?

Itachi stared at Sakura one more time. He stood up and checked her temperature once again. It had gone down a bit; that was good. He put the cloth back to her and she stirred a bit. She opened her eyes a bit.

"Itachi…I'm…s…" she murmured before she closed her eyes once again. Itachi stared at her just waiting for her to finish her sentence… but sadly, she didn't. She passed out once again before she could finish the last word, which was probably the most important word to Itachi. Was she about to… it couldn't be… could it?

'_Was she about to apologize?' _He thought.

He glared at her forehead. Damn that fever! It couldn't just wait 3 more seconds could it?

**(Sakura's POV)**

'**Ouch… did you just feel something?' **Inner asked.

'_**Must be your imagination'**_ Matsuro replied.

'**I could have sworn I felt something…' **

'_**Like what?'**_

**I don't really know… I just feel like something just penetrated through the big forehead of hers' **Inner said with a sweat drop.

'_What are you guys blabbing about?'_

'_**Nothing really, just her imagination...'**_

'**What about you… were you… trying to apologize or something?' **Inner asked.

'_Yeah… trying to… I feel too weak right now though' _Sakura said inside her head.

'_**Just rest Sakura dear, you'll be better by tomorrow morning; I'm sure of it.' **_ Matsuro said before she grabbed Inner Sakura, and left so Sakura could be left in peace to get better.

**(End of POV)**

Itachi stared at Sakura the whole night waiting for her… waiting for her to complete the word.

Sorry

This, was one of the strangest words to Itachi. It was a small word, yet, it was so powerful. Itachi wondered, that even with all its power, that with its help, everything could be fine. What if Itachi had killed his clan and disappeared. Leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone. What if he reappeared 5 years later expecting to be accepted like he once was and all he had to say was 'sorry'… would things go back to the way they were?

He most certainly doubted it. Things would change if he killed them, for everyone around him. Not only would his whole clan be dead, but Sasuke would be changed. He was a happy, small, innocent boy now. And later? How would he be, knowing the truth about what his older brother, the person he had looked up to the most, had done? His whole world would change from the innocent life he once knew to one filled with darkness, pain, and sadness.

And what about Sakura? Would she have moved on? Would she try to kill him the next time she saw him? He didn't know how Sakura really felt about him… but… he knew he had made an impression in her life.

Itachi sighed and shot his eyes close for about 10 minutes only to reopen then when he heard Sakura stir in her sleep. He opened an eye and stared at her. She mumbled some inaudible words as she stirred some more with a few tears falling down. Itachi knew what was going on… she was having _that _dream again. Itachi got off his bed and laid down next to her. He quickly checked her temperature and, it was still pretty high.

He gently grabbed her hands and caressed them soothingly in hopes that she would soon calm down and go back to sleep peacefully. After a few minutes, it had worked. Itachi tried to get up to go to his separate bed, but then felt Sakura's hand grab his own.

"Don't… leave… me………ever. It's scary… being alone." She murmured as a small tear fell.

Itachi's eyes widened in shock. Was this… how she really felt? Did she feel alone and scared? Itachi's eyes soon softened as he understood a bit. Would this be how he would feel? If not worse? He would too be alone sense, his family would be gone. Would he also be afraid? Afraid of not being able to see their faces again? To hear them laugh? To be there when you needed them? Being there… that was what Itachi needed to do most of all…

"I'll never leave you…" He said as he laid back on the bed next to her and hugged her protectively. Good thing Sakura was passed out, dizzy, and did not have any idea he was doing this now… because she would surely scream. Not that she didn't really enjoy it deep down where she was actually conscious though.

'_He's hugging me…' _Sakura thought blankly. How could she let this happen? She could feel one of her souls leave her body as she blushed a furious shade of deep crimson.

'**Oh leave it alone will ya? This is the closest contact you guys have had in days and I've been missing it. Plus, you said it you're self, you're too weak so just shush, and go back to sleep.' **Inner said as she pushed Sakura deep into their mind and focused on what was important right now; Itachi!

Itachi watched as Sakura's face turned red, but dismissed it, since he played dumb and pretended that it was, after all, because of her fever. With some of the strength Sakura had left, she managed to scoot a bit closer to Itachi.

'**So what's your excuse for this?' **Inner Sakura asked quizzically.

'_Ummm…I'm… cold?' _Sakura said.

'**Right… why not warm yourself up with the 4 blankets currently on top of you?'**

'_Because… they're not warm enough?'_

'……'

'_Whatever leave me alone!' _Sakura said as she mentally stuck her tongue out childishly at the other being.

'**Whatever you say Sakura… whatever you say…' **Inner said as she disappeared once again, and this time, once and for all… for the rest of the night anyway.

**End of Chapter!**

**Wooh! Another chapter done… I'm so sorry for not updating in a looooooong time… But… I had a writer's block… but as soon as I got past it… I got an idea… and a wrote a bit extra… this chapter was a bit longer… so… take this as an apology for not updating in a long time? :o kay? :D**

**Yesterday, June 9, was Itachi's b-day :D I tried to finish up really quick yesterday to post it up… but I still had a bit to add on so I didn't :( o well… I got it done 1 day later :D**

**So…. this will be like a happy-late b-day to Itachi :D lol**

**Next Chapter: Understanding and Apologies**

**I haven't updated this in a long time…BUT!!! you guys managed to reach the 100-review challenge EVENTHOUGH… you guys still had this chapter to go before I counted them up! I got exactly 100 reviews not counting this chapter soo…. This means early updates!!! My writers block has disappeared meaning I will be able to do the early updates so… CONGRATULATIONS!**

**Update Time: Minimum…. 3 days…. Maximum…. 1 week…. School is almost over so I doubt it'll take 1 week though… but just in case :o**

**Okay! That is all for this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Shocking News and Mysterious Shadows

**Hello!!! I promise in the previous chapter an early update, but I could not D= I couldn't update because…. I had take a trip to Wisconsin (hope u all know where that is… a state in the US)… and sadly… I had like… not internet whatsoever there… meaning… I couldn't update Dx… but that doesn't mean I couldn't write the story :D it's still a bit late, but I'll try to update the next 1 earlier!**

**Anyway! Let's get on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters**

_Recap_

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Itachi watched as Sakura's face turned red, but dismissed it since he played dumb, and pretended that it was, after all, because of her fever. With some of the strength Sakura had left, she managed to scoot a bit closer to Itachi.

'**So what's your excuse for this?' **Inner Sakura asked quizzically.

'_Ummm…I'm… cold?' _Sakura said.

'**Right… why not warm yourself up with the 4 blankets currently on top of you?'**

'_Because… they're not warm enough?'_

'……'

'_Whatever! Leave me alone!' _Sakura said as she mentally stuck her tongue out childishly at the other being.

'**Whatever you say Sakura… whatever you say…' **Inner said as she disappeared once again, and this time, once and for all… for the rest of the night anyway.

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**Chapter 14: Shocking News and Mysterious Shadows**

Itachi awoke early in the morning to come face to face with Sakura's face. He stared at it for a few seconds, until the memories of the previous night came flooding in his mind. He stared at her. He then gently got up, and checked her temperature. It had gone done dramatically, and now, she was almost fully recovered, even though her temperature was still slightly high.

Itachi got some clothes, and hopped in the bathroom to shower and get ready. He came out half an hour later all refreshed and ready. He sat on the corner of Sakura's bed, and stared at her for a minute before she started to stir. She gently opened her eyes and after a few minutes of adjusting to the light, leaned up and stared at Itachi curiously.

"…Good morning?" she asked unsure as to why Itachi was staring at her so early in the morning. Sakura occasionally saw him stare at her, but not so early in the morning before.

Itachi stared at her for a few minutes in silence before he reached his hand towards her head. He hit her gently in the forehead as she closed her eyes like a child would do when being scolded. Sakura pouted childishly.

"What was that for?" she asked as she crossed her arms around her chest. Not only did she have the body of a child, but she was also acting like one too, even when she was actually about 18 years old. Amazing what Itachi could do to her wasn't it?

"For many reasons" he said sternly. Sakura tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"You almost fell of the roof because you had a fever, and passed out." He explained with a small glare.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and soon enough, memories started to flood into her mind no thanks to her inners using their photographic memories. It's like they could record those memories and play them in her head at their own will.

"Oh… I'm sorry… and… thank you… for saving me." Sakura said as she showed Itachi a smile he hadn't seen in quite a while… it was his smile.

Sakura looked at herself and something caught her eye.

"I… I wasn't wearing… this clothes before…" she said slowly… he couldn't have… could he??? Sakura started blushing a deep red while Itachi caught what she was trying to say, and his eyes widened just a fraction of a millimeter.

"Temari… undressed you." he explained quickly so she would not think wrong.

"Ohh… I see" she said with relief.

There were a few minutes of silence until Itachi spoke up. "You must be hungry, I'll get us some food real fast." Itachi explained as he got up.

"That's okay… I'll get it myself." Sakura said as she started taking the blankets off of her.

"You are still weak. We don't need you passing out in the middle of the hallway." Itachi explained with a glare.

"I'm perfec-"

"Stay" Itachi said strictly.

Sakura pouted once again, and crossed her arms across her chest. "Yes your majesty" she said sarcastically. Itachi smirked.

"Good… now stay, I'll be back shortly" Itachi said as he pointed strictly at Sakura, before leaving shortly after.

Sakura sighed. Things seemed to be going right for once in her life. Things seemed good with Itachi, and she hadn't felt this happy in ages… maybe since the day of the massacre… before her family died. Those were really the days. She had nothing to worry about and everything seemed almost perfect.

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Itachi stepped in the kitchen and found Gaara seated there by himself. He stared up and smiled when he spotted Itachi.

"Itachi-niisan!" he yelled as he got off his chair and ran towards Itachi. Itachi quickly picked Gaara up as soon as he had a hold on him.

"Good morning" he commented.

"What happened to Sakura-neechan? She wasn't with me when I woke up." He explained.

"She spent some time on the roof and got a fever she's in my room." Itachi said as he took a quick glance at Gaara. He quickly showed worry. "She'll be fine with a few more hours of rest." He quickly commented. Gaara then nodded happily knowing his 'okaa-san' was safe.

"Itachi-niisan… can I talk to you?" Gaara asked.

Itachi nodded as he set Gaara on the table and got some toast, and put it in the toaster.

"You… like Sakura-neechan right?" he asked a bit loudly. Itachi was caught off guard and he almost tripped but managed to keep himself calm and collected. There was no response for a while.

"You _do_ right, nii-chan? I see the way you always look at her…" he exclaimed.

Itachi gave a sigh and then nodded sourly. Was it really _that _obvious? Even Gaara figured it out.

"You've been worried because she's been avoiding you…" Gaara started explaining. Itachi looked at Gaara warily. Just how much exactly did this little kid now. He was a mastermind at figuring out relationships. Itachi stared at him as if telling him to go on.

"She said she was afraid…" Gaara said before the toaster went off. Itachi stayed still for a few moments until he headed for the toast, and got some butter out.

"Afraid of what?" he asked as he got a knife and started spreading the butter.

"Afraid of getting hurt" Gaara repeated as Sakura told him. Itachi raised an eyebrow and turned towards Gaara. This was really getting interesting know. Did he know everything going on around here? "She said she was afraid to love again because she didn't want to get hurt. That's what she said anyway" Gaara explained sadly.

Itachi's eyes almost widened as he momentarily stopped spreading the butter. Why was she afraid of getting hurt again? And then something caught his eye… 'again'?

"Why would she think I would hurt her?" he asked as he resumed with the spreading of the butter.

"She said you reminded her a lot of the person she used to like… and it scared her because she didn't want her heart to be broken by you, like it was by the other guy."

Itachi blinked. This… was why she was avoiding him? Because she was afraid? Afraid of getting hurt by him. He could assure her, if there ever was a 'them,' that he would never hurt her. He cared about her too much to hurt her. Itachi mentally glared at the person who had caused her so much pain. He was mad at him, but then again, kind of glad this happened. Because if he had never broken her heart, he would never have a chance with her. Because if he stayed with her, Sakura would have never paid any attention to him.

"Why… are you telling me this?" Itachi asked slowly. Gaara hesitated a bit.

"Because… you guys care about each other… and being around you 2 makes me feel like I have a family. My parents… never loved me… and yet, I feel like you 2 are my only parents… And for once… I feel loved." Gaara explained as he showed a small smile

Itachi stayed silent until he finished spreading the butter on the 2 pieces of toast. He then went up to Gaara and ruffled his hair sweetly. "You're a good kid Gaara," He started with a rare, small smile. Gaara smiled sweetly. "but, you have no need to worry." he finished off.

Itachi then quickly got a glass, filled it with orange juice, and started heading to his room with the toast and orange juice.

Gaara quickly jumped off the counter and followed after Itachi walking a bit too fast trying to keep u with Itachi's normal pace.

"I was going to visit Sakura-neechan with you… but then again, I shouldn't disturb your time alone…" Gaara said curiously. He didn't really know what to do in a situation like this, but he guessed, they would want to be alone. "So, I'll be staying with Kakashi, Temari, and Kankuro until further notice. Please come over when you're done talking to Sakura-neechan please!" he said as he stopped at a door, opened it, and closed it behind him. Itachi glanced at Gaara for a second… smart kid he was… If he really was his 'father figure', he could say Gaara got his brains from him. What a proud father he would be.

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As soon as Itachi left, Sakura sighed. She still had to apologize to him and she didn't know how exactly to do it. Sakura tried to get up, but felt dizziness overcome her and laid back down on the bed.

'_This damn fever. If only I could heal I-' _Sakura thought before the truth dawned on her. She _**could**_ heal it. _'I am such an idiot…' _Sakura thought.

'**Yes you are indeed…' **Inner Sakura commented as she crossed her arms mentally and looked at Sakura as if she was dumb.

'_You didn't think of it either…' _Sakura said flatly.

'………'

'………'

'………**Whatever just heal yourself already…' **Inner Sakura said as she walked away.

'_**She sure is troublesome…' **_Matsuro commented out of nowhere.

'_She sure is...' _Sakura agreed as she put her hand on her forehead and it started to glow green. Minutes later, she felt much better and was able to stand without any effort.

'_Now… how to apologize…'_

'_**Why not apologize where it all started… the roof?' **_Matsuro suggested.

After a few minutes of contemplating, Sakura agreed to her idea. It was after all, a deserted place where no one would hear them, where they could be alone, and where she could speak openly. Sakura felt Itachi's chakra approaching her and she quickly got on the roof. It was a bright sunny day so Sakura didn't have to worry about getting another fever.

Sakura quickly flared her chakra as to tell him she was on the roof.

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Itachi opened the door…… to an empty room. He then felt her chakra flare as a notification that she was on the roof. He put down the food on the nearest table and went to the roof ready to scold Sakura once again.

He soon appeared there and looked at her sternly.

"Before you say anything… I healed myself…" Sakura said as she picked up her hand and momentarily sent chakra to it making it glow green.

"…Why didn't you heal yourself a long time ago?" He asked. Maybe all of this could have been avoided. Meaning, her almost falling to her death.

Sakura shrugged "I was too dizzy and I didn't have enough strength." She said.

"Anyway… go down to eat your bre-"

"I'm sorry Itachi." She quickly interrupted.

Itachi stopped dead in his tracks as if telling her to continue.

"I'm… sorry for avoiding you… I was just… confused." Sakura said slowly. Sakura waited for an answer, but, didn't get one. She started to get nervous.

There was an awkward silence until Itachi spoke up. "It's… fine. Just promise me something…" Itachi said almost unsurely. Sakura stared in silence for him to continue.

"Promise… never to… avoid me again." He said in such a serious voice, it made Sakura's spine shiver in fright.

Sakura blinked.

She wasn't exactly expecting this to say the least. "No go eat breakfast, we have a long day ahead of us." Itachi said as he started heading for the window and paused shortly. "You coming?" he said as he glanced back. Sakura stood still for a few seconds before she got up quickly and gave him a huge smile.

"Hai!" Sakura said as she caught up to Itachi, and slipped through the window into the room. There, she ate her breakfast and talked with Itachi until she finished. She then hit the shower while Itachi waited for her to finish getting dressed.

After that, they had regrouped at the play area next door where they each did their own individual things for a few hours until they went to the playground where they once again met Ryuu, Yuuki, and Rin. They played tag, hide-and-go-seek, catch, and other types of fun games until they got tired. After that, they sat under a large tree and had a small picnic Sakura had arranged earlier before they left for everyone. You could say this play date had been planned out by Sakura so she made extra food.

Over all, it was a very fun day and everyone had enjoyed it, heck, even Itachi had enjoyed the day. After all, he was able to see Sakura smile freely _and _she was not ignoring him anymore. You could say this was one of the best days for him. Missing her smile, company, and over all, her, had made him realized just how fond he was of the tiny things she had that made her Sakura.

Her smile, her laugh, her hair, hey eyes, her attitude, heck, even her forehead! All these things Itachi had found that just made him glad she had those qualities. Things, he had not recognized before because he thought he would never lose her, that she would always be there by his side.

But now, he was looking at life a whole different way. What if he lost her one day, but she was never able to come back? This, really scared Itachi and the fear grew more and more each and every day because, each and every day, he got closer and closer to her and yearned for her smile more and more. He was becoming dependant of her, something Itachi had sworn he would never do. He had sworn he would never become dependent on something… but he never expected it to be a _someone… _

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It had been a long 2 weeks after the whole 'avoidance' issue. And, everything was going pretty normal, for them anyway. And now, Sakura found herself thinking about her time here. She was currently looking out the window, staring at the stars and moon.

Kakashi was still get stabbed with kunai… except, Temari had recently upgraded to shuriken about a week after giving Kakashi, more torturous nightmares and occasionally, sleepless night. After all, she was sleeping on the bed next to his. Oh how he wished he had chosen to watch over Kankuro rather than Temari. Kakashi would occasionally call her 'the devil herself' while Temari would just thank him for the 'compliment'…

This had still not stopped amusing Sakura. Every time she thought about, it made her chuckle.

With some pleading, Temari was able to convince Sakura to allow her to throw shuriken at Kakashi. She might have agreed on kunai, but Sakura thought shuriken were a bit more… dangerous since, they were a bit harder to control and they could hurt you from whichever angle. But nevertheless, she was allowed to and for the most part –if you don't include torturing Kakashi, she was as sweet as an angel, well, Kakashi didn't think so but Sakura sure did.

Soon enough, Temari had earned her fan and Sakura promised that as soon as she got her pay, she would buy the fan for Temari and make someone deliver it to her. Temari was so happy she only threw 15 shuriken at Kakashi that day. She hoped though, that Kakashi would come and play with them often since, over the years, she would definitely get better at 'Pin the Kunai on the Kakashi.' And for this reason, Kakashi actually hoped he _never _had to go to Suna again. After all, Suna meant Temari and Temari meant trouble… or in other words, almost death for Kakashi.

Sakura let out a low laugh so she would not wake Gaara up. In her own time, she had never seen Temari and Kakashi like that though… maybe because, if she did not come back to the past, Kakashi and Itachi would have never received the mission. It was a possibility.

Kankuro had finished reading his book about puppets and was now learning how to put the puppet together. With a little help from Sakura, he was then able to control them using chakra strings a bit even though he was still a bit… rusty. He would get the hang of it eventually though. He had plenty of years to go before he had to use them anyway. The good thing was, he had a head start.

Gaara opened up a bit more to Temari and Kankuro while Sakura and Itachi were there. They taught him you didn't necessarily have to be suspicious of everybody. Not everyone was trying to hurt him. They also taught him to trust his friends and family more because those would always be people he could depend on. Gaara had spent some more time with Ryuu, Rin, and Yuuki in the park and they had become such close friends. Sakura was really glad and Gaara, he was really happy he had made friends. And, Sakura could tell he was definitely starting to like Rin. He would always blush when she touched him, or smiled at him. He had found, his first crush!

Sakura found this so cute! Sakura hoped she had changed Gaara's future for the better. But you could never be too sure with Yashamaru being as close as he was to Gaara. She then started thinking about herself.

She had gone back to normal, and stopped ignoring Itachi since the incident. She wondered whether this would happen ever again. Would Itachi act the same or not? Sakura wondered why she had affected him just so damn much. She would occasionally space out and remember how serious Itachi was when he told her to never avoid him again.

It really made her realize just how much she had affected him during the time she had gone to the past. Had she really changed him that much? Sakura would have never thought it would have been possible; changing Itachi Uchiha. But then again, almost everyone she knew said she had a special 'power' of brining people happiness.

She never really understood then until now. If this was the so called 'power' she possessed, it was a pretty damn strong power since; it was able to change Itachi Uchiha. But Sakura also thought, why she had not been able to change Sasuke. I mean, they are both so alike.

Sasuke was alone, misunderstood, emotionless, and powerful.

Itachi was alone, misunderstood, emotionless, and powerful.

But then Sakura realized something. They might have many similarities, but their similarities were different as well.

Sasuke was alone because he had no family anymore. He was misunderstood because no one back then could ever comprehend how he felt. They all still had their families… that was what he thought anyway. He was emotionless because, after so much time being alone, he forgot how it felt to express any _real _emotion. He was powerful because, he had trained his ass off every day to get stronger and kill Itachi.

Itachi was alone because he had no real friends and his family… didn't really act like his family. He was misunderstood because no one had ever thought about his true feelings. They just thought about how powerful and important he was. He was emotionless because he had been trained at such a young age to get rid of such emotions. He was powerful because he was forced to be powerful… for the clan's sake.

Sakura sighed as her mind wandered to Itachi. And, unknown to Sakura, Itachi was thinking about himself as well.

Itachi, had also gone back to normal except for the fact that he would occasionally stare at Sakura for no reason whatsoever, and just take in everything he possibly could about her.

It seemed like he was afraid he would lose her. It felt like he had lost her those 2 days, what if he lost her even longer than that? He would surely feel like he would die. That was why, he was getting prepared. After all, he still did not know what exactly he would do about the _mission. _

If he accepted, he would know he did Konoha a favor and he would be proud of that until the day he died. He would know he saved Konoha from any destruction coming from his own clan. He would die with honor knowing he had done something noble for Konoha even though, no one would know about his brave deed besides the elders.

But, he would live a lonely life having one of the biggest regrets of his life. He would have lost Sakura, the love of his life, and he would have lost his friends and family. All these people, he would lose. Sakura, Sasuke, Gaara, Kakashi, Shisui, Mikoto, and, so many more that it almost _hurt _to think of all the people he would never see the same. The next time they saw his face, they would be filled with loath, sadness, and anger. They would try to kill him instead of going towards him with the intent of having a nice conversation.

If he rejected, he would be able to live a good life with the woman he loved, and possibly some great children. He would have a great younger brother, and all the friends he could ever want. He would, most likely, make it as the next Hokage and he would run Konoha with such efficiency, most would call him the greatest Hokage, which, would obviously make Naruto jealous, but back to the topic, he would have an almost perfect life.

But, he would know he betrayed Konoha in some way, while he sat back and watched his clan take over Konoha, if they ever did. He would think of himself as a coward for not accepting the mission and he would soon feel guilty. The guilt would soon eat him alive from the inside, until, he went mad with 'what ifs' and 'if onlys'.

This was over all, how the 6 had spent their remaining 2 weeks they had with each other. Happiness, excitement, horror, anger, and every other emotion in between. Sakura went back to bed and looked at Gaara for a few seconds. She would be leaving tomorrow… she just wondered how Gaara would cope with the fact.

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"You guys, it's time to go." Sakura said sadly as she stared at the people currently in front of her outside. Her eyes lingered on a small red head who seemed like he was about to break down in tears.

Itachi, Kakashi, and herself were standing next to each other outside with their luggage on their backs waiting to go.

Gaara ran up to Sakura and Itachi and hugged their legs.

"I don't want you guys to go." Gaara said sadly as a few tear drops fell from his eyes, and he stubbornly grabbed on to them refusing to let go.

Sakura bent down momentarily and picked Gaara up.

"Don't cry Gaara." She said as she hugged him. Him crying made her want to cry as well. **(A/N: Don't you just hate that? when someone is crying and it makes you want to cry as well? Dx) **

"But I'll miss my okaa-san and otou-san." He complained as he rubbed his now red eyes. Yes, he had switched from 'niisan' and 'neechan' to 'outo-san' and 'okaa-san' about a week and a half ago.

Sakura blushed a tiny bit but then dismissed it since there were more important matters on hand. She didn't understand why she hadn't gotten used to it yet. He had been calling them that after the whole 'avoidance' incident. "I'll miss you too Gaara-chan, but you have to be tough okay?" Sakura said.

Itachi quickly patted Gaara on his head. "Be strong and make sure to protect the weak, I'm sure you'll be a great shinobi." Itachi said as he showed something close to a smile; but not quite it.

Gaara nodded childishly and Sakura gently put him back on the floor after she gave Gaara a small kiss on the forehead.

All 3 of them waved and just before they started walking off, Yashamaru appeared behind the children and put his hand on Gaara's shoulder.

"Thank you all for taking care of the kids this long." Yashamaru explained.

"It was our pleasure." Sakura said as she glared a deadly glare at Yashamaru's hand which was currently seated on Gaara's shoulder. Yashamaru let a quick shiver go down his spine as he quickly put his hands behind his back, safe, and away from the clutches of Sakura's glaring eyes.

"I believe they were all good kids?" Yashamaru said trying to hide the fear in his voice while trying to stop himself from trembling.

"Oh yes, especially Gaara, he's a sweet heart. Such a nice kid, I've really grown fond of him." Sakura explained, still glaring.

"Oh really, that's nice to know." Yashamaru said looking at Temari and Kankuro, not wanting to look at Sakura in the eye.

"Oh yeah, and if _anyone __**ever**_ tries to harm Gaara, I would be here faster than anything killing _**whoever **_it is who think they can harm-" Sakura started.

"_**Our **_Gaara and get away with it." Itachi cut off as he also glared at Yashamaru even though his was not as… deadly as Sakura's was.

"Yes, because they would be dead faster than they had enough time to even know what hit them. You understand right, _**Yashamaru?**_" Sakura said threateningly. She could see Yashamaru tense with all the attention he was getting from the 2 teens and he was definitely not liking it one bit.

Yashamaru visibly gulped at the threats he was getting from Sakura and Itachi. They were seriously scaring the hell out of him.

"H-Hai… d-definitely." He said shakily.

"Good, now, I think we should be on our way guys." She said as she smiled and turned her attention to her 2 teammates.

With one last wave, all 3 started walking slowly towards the gates.

'_W-Well that was s-scary. W-What if they k-know my plan…' _he thought scared. Now he was having second doubt on it because of 2 little kids who could most likely, over power him while being half asleep, and blind at the same time.

But then again, a tired Itachi was definitely something **nobody **wanted to deal with though. After all, he was definitely not a morning person. And Sakura, all Yashamaru had to do to get her mad was just touch Gaara. That touch on the shoulder had really set Sakura off. And she had warned him specifically. If something happened to Gaara, she would be knocking on his door with a kunai to his throat.

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Sakura walked happily down the road with Itachi and Kakashi on either side of her.

"Nee, Sakura, was there a reason you said such… I don't know, threatening and vicious words to Yashamaru-san?" Kakashi asked. Itachi also wanted to know the answer to this question but refrained from doing so just because, he wasn't the type to ask questions. He was the type to have the _answer_ to these questions. But being around Sakura had changed most of everything he once believed in back when Sakura was not around making him feel a bit… odd.

"Just because…" Sakura said nervously. What was she supposed to say, that she's from the future and that Yashamaru was actually going to try and kill him? Obviously not. Not only would she sound like a ridiculous fool, but they would start questioning her sanity, and an asylum, was definitely not a place she wanted to go!

"Just because…?" Kakashi repeated slowly.

"Just because I don't like him okay!" Sakura protested stubbornly.

"Could it be that you're hiding something from us?" Kakashi asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Sakura tensed up and started to get nervous. Itachi caught this from the corner of his eye.

'_So there is a reason for her hatred towards Yashamaru… What could she possibly know that we, do not…' _Itachi thought.

"Uhhggg……" Sakura said unsurely. She couldn't tell them the truth, because, they would obviously not believe the truth and think it was a lie. And a lie? What exactly could she lie about? He did something to her? No, he would surely die.

'_**Just tell them the truth Sakura.' **_Matsuro thought.

'_I can't tell them that! They'll ask how I know and then I would have to tell them I'm from the future! Then they'll think I'm totally psycho!_ _You know how strange it is for a person to claim they're from the future and that someone was going to try to attack and by all means __**kill **__Gaara?!' _Sakura shouted inside her head.

'_**No… this could all work out… just follow my lead…' **_Matsuro said. Sakura sighed and mentally nodded. How he sure hoped she was right.

"We're waiting Sakura…"

"It's because… when I was in the hospital… when I had barely woken up, I heard Yashamaru go in there." Sakura explained as she paused for a second.

"I… I heard him talk about how Gaara had done this to me –which was not true- and that he should be eliminated as soon as possible…" Sakura said as she recalled the prior time in the hospital. This was really good, Tsunade had always told her skilled ninja could catch lies. So going with the truth, but twisting the words was always the best thing to do.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Kakashi asked.

"Because…" Sakura started out but, her nothing inside her head meaning, Matsuro had no answer for this question. "Because… I thought maybe he was joking… I mean, he seemed to be really nice to Gaara, I mean, that is his uncle after all… I thought his uncle wouldn't really _want _to kill Gaara." Sakura explained as she made something up. Again, the truth, yet a lie at the same time. Usually, a child's uncle would not want to kill them… Sakura had not believed the story when she first heard it.

"Then what made you change your mind?" Itachi asked.

'**I got this one Saku.' **Inner Sakura explained with a grin. She could be useful too every now and then.

"Last night I was thinking about what happened in the hospital… and what had happened while we were talking to the Kazekage… Yashamaru claimed he always had important meetings to go to, but the Kazekage explained that there were no meetings occurring that Yashamaru actually had to attend…"

Itachi's mind clicked. It all made sense now…

"So you mean to tell me…" Kakashi started.

"Most likely, these 'meetings' he was always going to was to plan out how they would kill Gaara…" Sakura said with a nod.

"What about the first time we met Yashamaru? You glared at him then, as you glare at him now…" Kakashi stated.

Sakura mentally flinched. This was definitely not like the Kakashi she knew in her time. He was more aware and visual… and he asked _way _too many questions.

"You guys might not have noticed it… but he sort of… glared at Gaara for a split second. Not only that but… I just didn't like his aura. It felt like he was up to no good. So I naturally, glared at him. Whatever it was, I didn't like it one bit."

"I also remember when we said I would be protecting Gaara, he got worried because he thought he would harm me… he was either thinking I was weak, or that Gaara would kill me… which I knew he would never ever do. Either way, I didn't like it one bit." Sakura said.

Now that Itachi thinks back, he could remember a sort of glare on his face when he stared at Gaara. Not only that, but he did seem to be in a hurry to go somewhere. And most likely, that 'somewhere' was the 'meeting'.

"You said he wanted to attack as soon as possible… he would've done it a long time ago if he were planning something…" Itachi said.

"That's what I was also thinking last night. I think he knew he would not be able to attack him while we were there. After all, we are all ANBU who advance in our skills. He probably knew I was on to him as well. He would always avoid me and would always rush somewhere else whenever I was there…" Sakura explained.

"Should we go back?" Itachi asked.

"I'm afraid not… We have ended our mission and we have strict orders to come back right away as soon as it had ended." Kakashi explained.

"But Gaara…" Sakura said sadly.

"There are other people there to take care of him now Sakura, I'm sure he'll be fine." Kakashi assured.

'_I sure hope so… But… I can't help but feel something's… not right…' _Sakura thought.

Soon enough, they reached the village gates where they set off towards Konoha.

**Somewhere near them…**

"What is the meaning of this?" a young boy around 16 years old whispered to the other shadowed figure next to him.

"I don't know… but you don't think… maybe it isn't her?" the figure suggested.

"No, I'm positive, it must be her. I mean, she looks exactly the same but..." the boy said.

"older…" the girl who seemed about 13 next to him interrupted.

"Yes… She was the only one else who… _survived…_" the boy said.

"You don't think that maybe… Matsuro had anything to do with this… could you?" the shadowed girl said as she moved a bit closer to the boy.

"She _is _the only one who could possibly do this… but then again. Matsuro has been lost for thousands of years…… maybe the work of another?"

"I doubt it… most Gods are too stubborn to help one not their own… and they could only control what their power limits them to control. Surely no God can make a person age faster than they should…" she said.

"So then… it is Matsuro's doing… how exactly was she able to locate her? I mean, many have been trying for thousands of years and failed…"

"But, she is, after all, the true heir of the clan… she has powers beyond control… and, it was her fate to find her. After all, it is Fate that brought her here. And it is Fate who is with her. She will be perfectly fine." The girl counter argued.

"How can you be sure? You know perfectly well how many people will be after her in a few years…"

"Because, she is strong. She was able to endure the pain when the Haruno Clan disappeared… because she has been going strong… even after knowing what she must do. Because… we know Sakura can do this. After all, she is the chosen one." The boy said.

"Poor girl, she has to go through so much…" the girl said with pity.

"We should go back… and inform the others…" the boy said. The girl nodded and they soon disappeared running at an incredible speed. Years of practice and running away. That was how they got so damn good at running. They were hardly even pumping chakra into their feet.

They ran past the sand and in less than half an hour, they reached the forest. They stopped for a few seconds to make sure no one was following them, and then ran once again this time heading in a different direction. Over all, they lived in the middle of nowhere, just perfect. No one would find them that way.

Half an hour of more running, and they had arrived at their destination; a small pond with a waterfall. They quickly pumped chakra into their feet and ran across the water only to stand in front of the waterfall. The boy did some hand signs. The earth shook slightly but nothing seemed to happen. They then ran towards the waterfall and disappeared through where they kept running. They were now inside a cave and at the end, there seemed to be some light streaming in. They followed the path towards the light and they came to another pond, this one without a waterfall. There was a big field filled with beautiful plants and flowers, and right smack in the middle, lay a 2 big cabins and 1 medium sized one. They went directly towards the medium sized one and opened it.

"We're back" the girl said lazily. As she looked around in the dark room trying to see where everyone was.

"So how was everything?" came a voice from inside. It was a small girl with her eyes closed as she sat on a couch.

"Not quite as expected." The boy said.

"How so…………… Hiroto-niisan?" the girl said as she opened her eyes only to reveal a dark shade of hot pink.

**END OF CHAPTER!**

**DUN, DUN, DUN!!**

**Cliffy? Maybe? xD Anyway… I'm sorry I never got to update early!! I went on vacation and had almost no internet!!! And I just came back a few days ago and I had to unpack everything :/**

**Anyway… I guess you guys probably know who the other two figures are. How many survived? You don't exactly know right now xD But, it should be revealed in the next chapter or so if I decide to split it so that half sticks 2 Sakura, and the other half sticks to them… or I stick to Sakura in the next chapter, and go with them after that one you decide xD**

**So here's a question! What should the next chapter be about!**

**Sakura + Itachi only!**

**The Survivors only!**

**Half/Half**

**Some might want half, half, so if I do that, I will need some oc's! I already have 1 done, I just need another; a male… if you would like the be the oc for him, message me, if no one asks for it, then I'll fill it in :)**

**That's it! Anyway…. I might not be able to make another early update because I'm going to be really busy, but I'll try!**

**Anyway! Really want to thank for all my reviewers/readers who have read this so far! I appreciate it! :D**

**Also… guess who might be coming in the next few chapters?? :D Kurenai and Anko! Oh… and Asuma too, can't forget about Asuma :) This is where some rivalry may occur! Unless… you guys say otherwise :0 it's what you guys prefer on this one… but I won't be taking votes yet hehe xD**

**Anway!!! Review time? yes?**

**-Marzy-chan**


	16. More Complications?

**Okay! The next chapter is up! Hope you all enjoy and review at the end!!! And I am really sorry for the long wait!! I've been pretty busy so I hope you all forgive me! D:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters!!**

_Recap_

_  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_We're back" the girl said lazily. As she looked around in the dark room trying to see where everyone was._

"_So how was everything?" came a voice from inside. It was a small girl with her eyes closed as she sat on a couch. _

"_Not quite as expected." The boy said._

"_How so…………… Hiroto-niisan?" the girl said as she opened her eyes only to reveal a dark shade of hot pink._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 15: More Complications?**

Sakura, Itachi, and Kakashi had arrived back in Konoha early in the afternoon and headed for the Hokage's office to give a report. After that they all left… besides Sakura who decided she wanted to speak to the Hokage alone.

"I'll meet you at the compound Itachi." Sakura said with a smile. Itachi nodded and left leaving Sakura there staring after him.

"Something seems to be troubling you Sakura." The Hokage said.

"It's about Gaara Hokage-sama…" Sakura said. The Hokage put his elbows on the desk and grabbed his hands. "You see… Yashamaru was supposed to try to assassinate Gaara… but he didn't seem to do it." Sakura said.

"You don't think he changed his mind, do you?" the fourth said.

Sakura shook her head. "He knew I was on to him. I would hardly even let him touch Gaara… I'm not sure if he decided against it though…" Sakura explained. "I wanted to stay behind a bit longer just to make sure… but Kakashi said not too so we headed back here."

"You made the right choice Sakura. He has other ninja watching him now. I'm sure he'll be just fine." The Hokage said.

"You might be right… it just worries me, they almost killed Gaara back then… what would change that now?" Sakura said as she walked towards the window and stared at Konoha. Was this place so different from Suna? They all shunned Naruto just like they did with Gaara… but no one here had ever tried to assassinate Naruto…

"Maybe you changed things for the better." The Hokage said.

Sakura sighed. "Maybe you're right… I'm probably just being paranoid… after all, it's kind of hard not to be when you come from the future and you know what's supposed to happen. Then you don't know if you changed the future by changing the past. And then what if you changed it for the worst instead of the better? This time travel stuff is very confusing." Sakura said, rambling on.

"I guess you're right… but I'm sure Tsunade had a good reason for sending you here… other ninja might be incapable of coping with this mission." The Hokage said.

Sakura nodded just as there was a knock on the door. The door opened to reveal Genma. "I shouldn't waste your time any longer Hokage-sama. I'll be excusing myself." Sakura said with a bow before she jumped out the window.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I'm back!" Sakura said as she opened the door. As soon as she stepped foot in the house, she was tackled by a little blob of blue. "Hello Sasuke-chan. Miss me much?" Sakura said with a smile as she patted Sasuke on the head.

"Of course I missed you! It's been a whole month!" Sasuke said.

"Nice to have you back Sakura-chan." Mikoto said as her head popped out of the kitchen.

"Good to see you too Mikoto, need help with dinner?" she offered. Mikoto gestured Sakura over with her hand and Sakura went into the kitchen with Sasuke following shortly behind her.

"I'm actually going on a mission with Fugaku for a few weeks so I was wondering if you'd be able to maintain the house while I was gone." Mikoto said.

"Of course! I'm used to looking over for myself and many children after all… I can make sure this house stays neat and tidy." Sakura said with determination flash in her eyes.

"Glad to know! We're actually leaving in a few hours so there's really no need for dinner today. I'm sure you guys already ate and Sasuke doesn't eat much… I'm sure you could just take him out real quick." Mikoto explained.

"Just between you and me Mikoto, this isn't really a mission, _is it?_" Sakura whispered in Mikoto's ear with a tiny evil glint in her eyes. She could see the tiny twitches in Mikoto's left eye. As an ANBU, it was kind of hard to miss that; that meant she was definitely lying unless Mikoto had a twitching problem… which she seriously doubted.

"Well if you must know, it's our anniversary and Fugaku insisted on getting away from the kids." Mikoto whispered back with a blush on her face. Sakura had a trained eye for lies; she had trained with Ibiki after all. That also meant she was good at torture… _very _good at torture.

"Well isn't that nice? Never thought he would be the romantic typr." Sakura said with a small giggle.

"Ahh, but you don't know Fugaku like I do. I wouldn't have agreed on leaving Itachi and Sasuke all alone without a woman in the house so I'm very glad you guys came back when you did!" Mikoto said excitedly. "Oh and by the way, don't tell Sasuke or Itachi about it… they'd think I don't trust them enough to keep the house clean." She whispered again.

"Sure thing! Don't waste your time chatting with me, go pack for your… _mission." _Sakura said.

"Right, and thanks!" Mikoto said as she headed down the hallway.

"What was all that about?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura chuckled. "It's a secret" she whispered to Sasuke as she winked at him causing him to blush childishly. If only the Sasuke she knew was more… normal… like the Sasuke standing in front of her. "Are you hungry Sasuke-chan?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nodded.

"You want to go out somewhere with me?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke thought for a minute. "Can Itachi-niisan come too?" he asked.

"We'll have to ask if he wants to go first." Sakura replied. Sasuke nodded as she grabbed his tiny hand and lead him towards Itachi's room. Sakura gently knocked.

"Mmm?" she heard from the other side.

"Sasuke wants you to go eat with us. Would you like to join us?" she asked.

Itachi never replied but Sakura heard feet shuffling around slowly so she took that as a yes. A few minutes later Itachi came out wearing a regular black shirt with black pants.

"Let's go then" Sakura said as she headed out the door with Sasuke, and Itachi following a few steps behind them.

"Where to go now?" Sakura said. Sakura got an idea in her head. "How about some ramen Sasuke-chan?" Sakura asked. Sasuke nodded and Sakura smiled. She led them to a place that was just so familiar to her.

They went inside and took their seats. Sakura looked around eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of a blonde-haired boy she knew and loved all too much. Sadly, he was nowhere in sight.

'_Maybe we missed him?' _Sakura thought sadly.

Itachi saw her looking around eagerly and then saw her disappointed face. Could she possibly be looking for someone? Seeing her face that eager made him a tad bit jealous, knowing that that person was not him, but he dismissed it either way, even though his mind still wondered who that person could possibly be.

A few minutes passed after they ordered a bowl of Miso Ramen for Sasuke and then another boy his age appeared.

"Naruto-kun!" Sakura said happily.

Naruto looked up in curiosity and his eyes widened in excitement. "Sakura-neechan!" he said as he hugged her.

"Here to eat some more ramen I see." Sakura said with a smile. Naruto nodded and gave Sakura a grin. He looked at the people she was with… Itachi and… Sasuke.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto said with a glare.

Sasuke turned around and glared at Naruto. "Dobe" he stated simply. A spark of electricity went off between them and Sakura couldn't help but give a small chuckle at this. It reminded her of the old days when they would always fight and she would always beat Naruto senseless.

"Knock it off and behave boys." Sakura warned sternly. They immediately stopped their glaring contest and looked up and Sakura.

"Sakura-neechan, can I sit on your lap?" Naruto pleaded. Sakura smiled warmly at him as she picked him up and put her on his lap. "Old man, a bowl of ramen please! Beef!" Naruto said excitedly.

"No fair! I wanted to sit on Sakura-neechan's lap!" Sasuke protested with a pout.

"Too bad, I asked first!" Naruto said as he stuck out his tongue at Sasuke.

"Well I was here first!" Sasuke replied as he glared at Naruto.

They glared at each other even more and Sasuke was protesting with himself on whether he should throw his ramen at Naruto or not. He looked at his ramen bowl, and then at Naruto a few times. It _would _be a waste of ramen… and he was still hungry. He didn't have much time to think because Sakura cut them off.

"Boys" Sakura warned again. Both boys flinched and stared at Sakura with the oh-so famous puppy eyes. Sakura stared at both of them now heartbroken. She scooted Naruto to one of her knees, and then picked Sasuke up and put him on the other knee. "Happy now?" she asked.

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other for a few more seconds before they looked back up at her and nodded with big smiles.

Itachi just stared at all 3 of them as their family feud went on.

'**Wouldn't you like to sit on Sakura's lap like that?' **

'_Hn' _he thought not even realizing he had thought that. His inner snickered as he disappeared. Looks like he wasn't needed anymore… for now anyway.

After both of them finished up their bowls, Sakura took them off her lap and they exited the ramen stand. Naruto said his good byes' before he ran towards his apartment. Sakura sighed happily. Oh how she missed Naruto. She sighed. Now that she thought about it, she missed everybody.

Naruto, Ino, Hinata, TenTen, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Tsunade, Shizune. She even missed Lee and his never ending confessions of love!

"What do you want to do know Sasuke?" Sakura asked him hardly paying any attention.

"Target practice!" he said as he gave Sakura the puppy eye look once again. Sakura sighed; oh what a sucker she was for that damn face. Sakura smiled his way letting Sasuke know that it was okay with her. They walked back to the compound but they went to their private training grounds. There, Sakura helped Sasuke perfect his aiming.

"You're flicking your wrist too much. Slow it down and practice the motion of your wrist." Sakura instructed as she grabbed a kunai, and threw it effortlessly and the target hitting it dead on in the middle.

"Zugoi!" Sasuke is in amazement. Sakura chuckled; kids. They were so easy to impress these days. Sasuke pumped his fist in the air with determination written all over his face. He then grabbed more kunais' and practiced even more. He was following her advice and just like Sakura said, he stopped flicking it and the more he tried the closer to the center he got.

"That's it; some more practice and you'll get the hang of it." Sakura said as she walked away and sat on the grass watching Sasuke carefully. She hardly even paid attention to the man sitting next to her. Sakura laid down and put her arms under her head and gave a big sigh.

She was starting to miss her present time more and more. Let's face it, she hardly knew anyone over here. All her original friends were munchkins; how was she supposed to feel at home like that? She couldn't talk to them about her problems or anything like that. They'd just think she was some weird girl thinking they were her best friends. She would definitely scare them off like that now wouldn't she?

"I did it!" Sakura heard Sasuke shout in triumph. Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke's kunai had hit the center, only a few centimeters away from her own.

"Nice job Sasuke." Sakura said with a smile.

Sakura stared at Itachi curiously. He was staring at Sasuke with pride written in his eyes. Sakura smiled. "You really do love Sasuke don't you?" Sakura said with a smile. Itachi turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"It's written all over your face. You're proud of him right now." Sakura said with a matter of fact tone. "He's the most important thing in your life isn't he?" Sakura said as she glanced back at Sasuke who was now jumping around in happiness.

Itachi stared back at Sasuke and a small smile crawled onto his face. Sasuke was always the most important thing in his life, but now he was starting to doubt who exactly it was. He turned back to Sakura and saw her staring at him with a smile. "You're lucky to have such a great little brother." Sakura said.

"Sasuke, you ready to go home now?" Sakura said loudly. Sasuke nodded as he ran towards them.

"Did you see that Itachi-niisan? I was good wasn't I?" Sasuke said with a smile.

Itachi patted his head gently. "Hn" he said. Sasuke grinned as he ran towards the compound and left Sakura and Itachi walking alone as the sun set behind them.

"Who's your most important person?" Itachi asked suddenly.

Sakura looked at him curiously before pondering on that question. At first she was considering saying Naruto, but she couldn't exactly say that without sounding weird.

"He's my best friend. I've known him since I was Sasuke's age. Naruto-kun reminds me so much of him; that's why I can't help but feel so relaxed around him. We've been through everything together." Sakura said as she felt tears well up inside of her.

Sakura chuckled. "I remember he used to say I was his 'ideal girl' and that I was his future girl friend." She said with a smile as she reminisced those days.

Itachi felt himself want to scowl at the comment but did nothing.

Sakura let out a sigh. "I miss him so much." Sakura said as a wave of homesickness ran through her. It was kind of funny. She missed home, but she was already there… just not in the right time. She felt tears well up and she quickly wiped them away hoping Itachi didn't see them.

He saw them

Itachi didn't do anything though; he had never been in a situation like that before… so what was he supposed to do?

Sakura quickly sighed and smiled once more as if nothing had ever happened and she was not about to cry a few seconds ago. "Sasuke's a good kid. He really loves you, you know. You should hold on to that love… you never know just how good it feels until you lose it." She said.

Itachi stared back at Sasuke who was already waiting for them at the door with a grin on his face.

"Hn"

Itachi thought about what Sakura said for a few seconds… it was as if she knew his mission… as if she was trying to tell him not to do it because he would find out just how lonely he would be without anyone. How he would miss Sasuke's love when it is turned into pure hatred and loathing.

Nah!

That couldn't be! This undecided mission was totally top secret and only he and the elders knew anything about it. I mean, Sakura just came back from a very long mission about a month ago… she couldn't possibly know anything about this… could she?

Could she really?

Itachi decided to dismiss this for now and think about it later when he went to bed or any time when he was alone and free to think.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_We're back" the girl said lazily. As she looked around in the dark room trying to see where everyone was._

"_So how was everything?" came a voice from inside. It was a small girl with her eyes closed as she sat on a couch. _

"_Not quite as expected." The boy said._

"_How so…………… Hiroto-niisan?" the girl said as she opened her eyes only to reveal a dark shade of hot pink._

_--------------_

"We saw something… _unexpected _to say the least." Hiroto said.

"More like _someone." _Marika muttered.

"Was Gaara's demon not stable?" Himawari asked.

"No, it was fine. It seemed a bit enraged and over protective of its vessel, but it seems to be doing well." Hiroto explained.

"Then _who _could you possibly be talking about?" Himawari asked.

"Sakura" Marika stated as she sat on the couch across Himawari's.

"You saw Sakura? But how? And _why? _Shouldn't she stay in Konoha where she's safe and protected from anyone? If word finds out that she is _the _Sakura Haruno, the heir to the clan, things can go bad." Himawari said a bit panicked.

"Relax Himawari. 'Sakura' is a very common name in the clan. Besides, many Haruno's have pink hair and green eyes. Maybe not the same bubble-gum and emerald shade, but nevertheless, same thing." Hiroto said. "It's not impossible for someone to survive something like that. I mean, look at us." Hiroto said.

"We all do know how dangerous it could be if they figure out she's the heir. But no one seems to know that. They won't figure it out because Sakura is supposed to be 6 years old right now." Marika said.

"_Supposed_ to be?" Himawari repeated questioning her. Marika nodded.

"She's aged; right now she's 12. We believe it might be because of Matsuro-sama." Marika explained.

"Matsuro-sama?" Himawari repeated questioningly.

"Ahh yes, you don't know about Matsuro-sama and all the other Gods yet. You were about to begin learning it but apparently things got in the way." Hiroto said trying to hide the fact that 'things' meant the massacre.

"Gods?" she repeated once again.

"There is a legend. A legend told that all Kekkai Genkkais' are powers residing from Gods. Of course, drastically reduced. For example, Matsuro is one of our clan's Gods. She holds the power of space, and Fate." Marika said.

"Makes sense, Matsuro does mean Fate" Himawari said as she processed the new information.

"Okay then, most Kekkai Genkais' and clans have 2 or more Gods involving their power. The number can vary from 5, to let's say… 15 or so. Some play a more important role than the others; this being more important in our clan." Marika said.

"Also, the Gods power varies as well. Some Gods are more powerful than others. Some have little power, and some having enough to set a nation into total chaos and destruction. But no God ever gives harm willingly to this world." Hiroto said.

"Willingly?" Himawari repeated questioningly once again.

"There are rare, few occasions in which people not of a clan finds out about these Gods. Gods are hidden in items that have to do with their element or power. Like the Fire God, can take form as something so small as a fire in a candle, or can very well be hidden in the sun."

"If anyone manages to get their hands on the item and knows what to do, they could use the God's power; bend it against their own will. That is why most Gods tend to hide in something no one would ever think a God would be, or somewhere that is inaccessible. Somewhere no one can reach, touch, see, or even smell for that matter."

"Once someone has a hold of them, and has no intention of letting them go, it could mean destruction to this world."

"Is our clan the only one who knows about the Gods?" Himawari asked.

"No" Hiroto said.

"Our clan, wants peace. It is in our nature to be peaceful because we hold the God of Life in our power. Life wants nothing but to live right? And for everyone and everything to live, we must live in harmony and peace. Our Clan is most likely not the only one who has a peaceful God in them. That being said, they would not give away any information involving the Gods. Because if word spread, things could go bad, and if things go bad, you could say bye-bye to this world. People would be out seeking for their power and the Gods would be in danger." Marika said.

"What if a child spilled the news?" Himawari asked.

"That is why, no child knows." Hiroto said with a grin.

"Our clan usually only tells people once they reach a certain age. Usually around 14, 15, or 16. I got it taught a bit earlier since I was in the main house hold and I was the daughter of the clan leader and stuff. But you Himawari were special as well. You were starting training earlier than most and you were supposed to be Sakura's protector. You were going to be taught all about them but… the massacre… got in the way and, well, you know." Marika said trying not to mention that everyone died so no one was able to teach her.

"That way, we are sure no one would spill about the Gods, and no harm would be done." Hiroto said. Himawari made her mouth in an 'O' shape meaning she understood. How lucky was she that they survived because now, they were helping her further her training, and she was learning about her clan.

"Will you guys teach me about the Gods too?" Himawari asked happily. She loved knowledge. Knowledge meant power, and power meant strength. If you had the strength, you'd be able to do anything.

She'd be able to protect Sakura.

Once all her training was done, she would definitely be able to protect Sakura. From everyone who would want to do harm to her. From anyone who planned to use her like those stupid ninja who killed their clan.

"Anyway, back to the Sakura issue." Hiroto said.

"Ahh yes… I doubt she knows anything about how important it is to keep not only her identity, but the Gods' as well." Marika said.

"Should we warn her?" Himawari said.

"How do we get in without alerting Konoha nin is the issue." Hiroto said.

"Our compound is near the forest; no one would sense or see us." Himawari said.

"Do you honestly think she lives there anymore? There would be too many horrible memories to haunt her." Marika said as a shiver went down her spine. Just thinking about it made her slightly scared.

"Where would she be staying then?"

"No clue… she had a team though… I recognized one of them right off the bat. Itachi Uchiha." Marika said.

"How did you know that?" Hiroto asked confused. She had not told him that yet.

"Oh, the horror. You know how outo-san was making me go out with boys to see my husband-to-be." Marika said while rolling her eyes. Both of them nodded and she continued. "Yeah I met up with him… turns out… not much of a talker. But I did manage to wiggle a few words out of him. He seems nice but usually misunderstood and definitely not my type." Marika said. "Overall, I rejected and we stayed good friends. We hung out about twice before everything arose."

"Oh so that whole… set up was just a few weeks before the massacre?" Hiroto asked. Marika nodded as she flinched a tiny bit at the words 'Massacre'.

"Anyway… I say I go… I am the most experienced and I could probably get by undetected better than you 2 can." Hiroto said.

Both girls looked at each other, looked back at him, and then raised their eyebrows. "Or is it just that you want to see and talk Sakura? We all want to do that too!" Himawari protested with a pout.

"Don't you want to get stronger and let Sakura see how strong you have gotten? What do you think she would say now if she saw you in this weak state? Right now she is stronger than you considering she was with ANBU." Hiroto said. Himawari pouted and glared at Hiroto while she crossed her arms across her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. She had to be stronger; how else was she going to protect Sakura?

"What about me then? I'm more than capable to see her" Marika said.

"I am the eldest, and leader of this… group, miniature clan, whatever you want to call it. So I say I go… I'm sure we will be able to talk to her again. Besides, it's _your _turn to train Himawari next. You _are _the most experienced in genjutsu's here." Hiroto said with a grin. He knew he had one that battle.

Marika sighed in defeat. "As long as you promise I'll be able to see her next time." Marika said.

"Hai! I'll probably be staying there for a few days to see how her life is going so far." Hiroto said.

"Anyway, shouldn't we go eat now?" Himawari asked.

Marika nodded and stared at Hiroto. "You guys go ahead, I'm heading for Konoha now… it'll take a while to get there considering I have to make sure I don't pass any towns and don't cross any main roads. Himawari, go get the munchkins from the garden and tell them you're about to eat." Hiroto said. Himawari nodded as she exited the cabin and ran towards the garden which was in back after you crossed a few minutes of forest.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? You know someone has been on our trail recently." Marika said as concern washed over her. "Whoever it was is much more experienced than any usual shinobi… I think he knows who we are… and he knows if we're alive, then so is she…" Marika stated.

"I know… but it's best we make sure she's okay… it's best we find her before he does now isn't it?" Hiroto said.

"Maybe he thinks she's with us?"

"Most likely. That's probably the reason he's been following our trail. It's been so hard trying to stray him away from our path… but we managed. If he does manage to somehow find us; he'll be out of luck. We don't have her after all."

"She is safer in Konoha… Hokage-sama did promise us she'd be in good hands…" Marika said.

"You see, nothing to worry about" he said with a grin.

"What about us Hiroto? What about Himawari, Sayuri, and Daichi? They should be safe too!" Marika protested.

"We are safe right now… and we will protect them with all our might… but you know very well the only way our clan can keep going is if Sakura lives. It's going to be that time again in 2 months… we have to make sure she performs the ritual or else who knows what can happen to Matsuro-sama… I doubt she knows anything about it." Hiroto said.

"She carries so much on her shoulders…" Marika said sadly.

"It's okay… it's Sakura after all. She's able to take on anything. I believe in her… she's a ship in the ocean right now… the storm is going to come eventually… but after the long storm, seeing the bright sun seems like paradise… I'm sure we're all waiting for that paradise. She might be the boat… but we are her passengers. We're there to aid her and make sure no harm comes to her. This'll all be alright Marika… you just have to believe and have faith in the future. After all, Fate is on our side." Hiroto said reassuringly as he ended his analogy with a reassuring wink.

"I suppose you're right… I just wonder if we'll be able to keep her for the ceremony. If we don't do it… Matsuro's life is in danger." Marika said.

"Dinner's ready guys!" Himawari said as she opened the door briefly.

"I'll be out in a minute." Marika said. Himawari nodded and shut the door behind her.

"Good luck on your trip"

"Stay safe. Also, try to not leave at all. He might pick up our scent again and that could mean trouble; especially when I'm not here." Hiroto said as he gave Marika a quick hug, and exited the cabin with her.

Hiroto said his good byes', and quickly exited speeding off into the forest and away from any roads and towns.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura looked up at the starry sky. The sky tonight reminded her so much of that time she had slept over at Himawari's house, and they were star-gazing for a few hours. Himawari made her a promise to always be with her… to be by her side when she needed her.

What happened to that promise?

Was it still unbroken? Or had it been broken long ago? Sakura didn't even know if Himawari was alive or not… the possibilities of her being dead were greater than the ones of her being alive and well after all. Sakura hugged her knees closely as more homesickness washed over her. This time, it was a homesickness she has had for over 18 years… not just recently.

She missed them all.

Himawari

Marika

Her mother

Her father

"I miss you Hiroto-kun." She said accidently voicing her thoughts. The bond she had shared with Hiroto was deep. He was like an older brother to her… and she cared for all 3 of them as if they were her sisters and brother… even though one really was her sister.

"I love you" she said. She loved all of them… and this was something that would never change.

Sakura sighed as she jumped off the roof and went in the kitchen to get a glass of water. She saw Itachi standing there… doing nothing.

"You should go to bed… it's getting pretty late." Sakura said as she drank her water. He stood there for a few minutes before staring at her impassively before he walked off to his room. Sakura found this slightly… odd. He would have usually told her to go to bed as well… or he would have at least 'Hned' at her or something! Sakura shrugged it off thinking it was just that he was tired and went to bed.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

'_I miss you Hiroto-kun'_

'_I miss you Hiroto-kun'_

'_I miss you Hiroto-kun'_

It just wouldn't stop ringing in his ears.

'_I love you'_

Could this have been the guy? The guy who broke her heart? It irritated him to no end not knowing the answer to his questions.

Was he the guy who broke her heart before?

Did she still have feelings for him?

Did he have feelings for her?

He thought maybe… maybe she felt something for him… she did say he was afraid to love him… that had to mean she felt something to begin with. There wouldn't have been that whole avoidance issue if there weren't any feelings she had for him to begin with. So now there was only one more unanswered question in his head.

Who did she love more?

He heard Sakura talk to him but he couldn't find it in his heart to take his mind off that question.

It could be him… she had said there were feelings to begin with… in an indirect way anyway… but then again… they had only known each other for a month.

But what about this 'Hiroto' person. They could have known each other for years. But then again, he had broken her heart meaning he had rejected her. Or he could have left for no reason. Not necessarily not loved her back. Kind of like his situation. If he accepted the mission, he would have to leave… even though he did love Sasuke and his family. Even if he was starting to like Sakura.

He finally decided he would glance at Sakura but his eyes lied to him. They saw Sakura being happy with whoever 'Hiroto' was… _not him. _He didn't even hear what Sakura said but he slowly walked to his room feeling slightly dead. As soon as one problem is solved, another rises. Just great. And here he was thinking everything was going to be alright.

Itachi sat on his bed and thought about Sakura and 'Hiroto'. Itachi glared at the ceiling. Why did she have to be so troublesome? He just hoped it wouldn't last that long. With that in his mind, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"He's on the move again." The man said as he bowed down.

"Where's he headed this time?" he asked as his onyx eyes bore into those of his servants.

"Somewhere near the Fire Country is all I'm able to say for now. He's staying away from main roads and villages." The man replied as he got up from his bowing position.

"Interesting… make sure you keep his location pin pointed. Who is tracking him this time?"

"one of our servants… no higher than Chunin really." He said.

"He won't last long. Make sure to send another." The man said as he frowned slightly. He knew how powerful Harunos' could be. He couldn't lose his trail right now. They had to find their base first… to be able to get the heir.

"How's the information on the heir coming alone?" he asked as his uninterested eyes looked around the plain room.

"As I said before, we know nothing of who the heir is. All we know is that… it's a female." The man said.

"You don't even know the age?" he asked a bit enraged.

"Pardon my rudeness but we don't even know what color hair and eyes she has. How are we supposed to know her age?" the man said bowing once again.

"You have never failed me yet. Don't disappoint me. Find out everything you can about her."

"All we know is that she was born in Konoha… I am sure she does not live there anymore." The man said.

"Why are you so certain then?"

"There is always the possibility that they had succeeded in capturing the heir."

"Their plan was to kill of every remaining Haruno besides the heir, they failed to do even that. If they survived most likely they don't have the heir." The man said as he glared.

"Yes, and if they survived, chances are they took her with them." the servant said.

The shadowed figure stood still as he pondered his servant's ideas. It was always a possibility.

"Very well, I will take what you said into consideration. Just make sure you don't lose track of the Haruno."

"Yes……… Orochimaru-sama." The man said as bowed and got up once again. He pulled his glasses back up with one finger before he turned around, and started exiting the chamber.

"By the way Kabuto, how is the experiment on the cursed seal coming along?" Orochimaru asked as he got up and walked towards him.

"How about you see it for yourself. We are making some improvements." Kabuto said with an evil smirk.

"Excccellent." Orochimaru said.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A man dropped to the floor unconscious.

Hiroto appeared and searched the man for any valuable items. He found none besides some money. He stared at the headband. It was the same person.

Hiroto had sensed him following him after about half an hour of running and quickly put him in a genjutsu. Soon enough, the man fell unconscious. Hiroto wondered why whoever it was, was sending low ranking ninja to track him.

Hiroto didn't think about for long because he could sense more of them coming swiftly. They were trying to track him down. Most likely because they thought he was going where Sakura was; in this case, he was.

Hiroto made some quickly hand signs and made 3 shadow clones. They each split up in different directions and Hiroto made some hand signs, and he literally went inside a tree. After that, he waited for the men to pass. They picked up his trail, and they split up. After about 5 minutes, Hiroto thought it was safe so he came out of the tree.

He hid his chakra signature he picked up running once again. In this pace, he would reach Konoha tomorrow afternoon. If he met some more unexpected visitors, it would be at night time. If he ran into those ninja again, they would become unfortunate… he would have to dispose of them. He didn't need any enemies finding out where Sakura was. She was much too valuable for that.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura hopped in bed quickly and went to sleep.

'**Are you awake Sakura?' **inner asked. She got no reply so decided she was asleep. **'When do you plan on telling her Matsuro-sama?' **inner asked.

'_**I have said this time, and time again, call me Matsuro. As to your question, I do not know.' **_Matsuro replied truthfully.

'**You know you have to tell her sooner or later. It'll come up in a couple of months…' **

'_**I am aware of that Kikyou-san'**_

'**Just Kikyou is fine. I think it's best you tell her soon. So she could be emotionally prepared for everything. You know, she is a sensitive person though she tends to not show it.' **Kikyou said.

'_**She'll be able to handle it. I'm sure of it. Onto more important matters, are you able to separate yourself from this body?' **_Matsuro asked.

'**I usually do it once a month… but I can do it whenever I feel like it. Only when she is asleep or knocked out though…' **Kikyou said.

'_**Very well, I wish for you to find something out for me. I am unable to since she has pretty much sealed me away in her body. Not only that but it is very dangerous for me to transfer away from her body.' **_ Matsuro said.

'**Of course, just tell me what do to…' **

'_**Okay then, I wish for you to travel to the Village Hidden in the Sound. I need you to search for a God'**_

'**What God?'**

'_**Possibly? My brother. I keep sensing cries of help from a God. I do not know who it is though. I think someone managed to get caught. This could be dangerous if we do not make sure he is in safe hands.' **_Matsuro said.

Kikyou nodded as a soul came out of Sakura's body. She was about the age of 30. She had long, pink hair, and dark green, emerald eyes. She had on a simple white dress that reached her feet. She had been wearing that for centuries now.

She flew off right through the wall and away from sight.

'_**I hope everyone's safe' **_Matsuro thought as she drifted away.

**End of Chapter**

**Blah, kind of a boring chapter, but next chapter will be better I promise! Hehe, now Itachi thinks that Hiroto was Sakura's past love xD too bad he doesn't know it's her cousin!! XD**

**Anyway!!**

**Next Chapter: Hiroto, Sakura, and Itachi (Title Maybe be Changed)**

**Update Time: ehhh about 1 month. Sorry people it takes time Dx and school is doing to start soon too! It sucks doesn't it?**

**Anyway, review and tell me what you think please! :)**

**-Marzy-chan**


	17. Enter Hiroto!

**Hello everybody! I'm trying to make earlier updates as an apology! I hope you accept it lol. Anyway, this chapter has many things going on, I hope you all can understand it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters is any way, shape, or form. :)**

_Recap_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

'**Are you awake Sakura?'**___inner asked. She got no reply so decided she was asleep. _**'When do you plan on telling her Matsuro-sama?' **_inner asked._

'_**I have said this time, and time again, call me Matsuro. As to your question, I do not know.' **__Matsuro replied truthfully._

'**You know you have to tell her sooner or later. It'll come up in a couple of months…' **

'_**I am aware of that Kikyou-san'**_

'**Just Kikyou is fine. I think it's best you tell her soon. So she could be emotionally prepared for everything. You know, she is a sensitive person though she tends to not show it.'**___Kikyou said._

'_**She'll be able to handle it. I'm sure of it. Onto more important matters, are you able to separate yourself from this body?' **__Matsuro asked._

'**I usually do it once a month… but I can do it whenever I feel like it. Only when she is asleep or knocked out though…' **_Kikyou said._

'_**Very well, I wish for you to find something out for me. I am unable to since she has pretty much sealed me away in her body. Not only that but it is very dangerous for me to transfer away from her body.' **__ Matsuro said._

'**Of course, just tell me what do to…' **

'_**Okay then, I wish for you to travel to the Village Hidden in the Sound. I need you to search for a God'**_

'**What God?'**

'_**Possibly? My brother. I keep sensing cries of help from a God. I do not know who it is though. I think someone managed to get caught. This could be dangerous if we do not make sure he is in safe hands.' **__Matsuro said._

_Kikyou nodded as a soul came out of Sakura's body. She was about the age of 30. She had long, pink hair, and dark green, emerald eyes. She had on a simple white dress that reached her feet. She had been wearing that for centuries now._

_She flew off right through the wall and away from sight._

'_**I hope everyone's safe' **__Matsuro thought as she drifted away._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Good bye Sakura-san!"

"Good bye Hikari." Sakura replied as she waved at the medic behind her.

Sakura was starting to take up shifts on the hospital just for the heck of it. She had no friends –besides Itachi, and the younger Naruto and Sasuke- and she felt really left out and secluded from everyone else. What better way to make friends by saving their lives right?

The sun was setting and Sakura was now walking towards the Uchiha Compound.

The Uchiha Compound…

Not once had she been there in her real time. Now, she found herself calling that place home… how ironic. A home… she was starting to call that place home… but was it really?

'_No… this is just a mission' _Sakura reminded herself, shaking away the thoughts. But once she thought that, her mind drifted to the mission.

Time was running out. How much longer would it be before the time came? Before she was forced to kill Itachi.

One death was much better than hundreds… so why was it that Sakura held doubt deep down inside of her? Why was it she was regretting taking up this mission?

'_This is all for Sasuke's sake… for all the other Uchihas' sake too…' _she thought once again but her mind thought otherwise.

Itachi was not really evil as everyone thought he was. So why was it he had to pay the price for this? He was just an innocent soul that happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time. If he hadn't seen death at such an early age… maybe this could have all been stopped.

'_It's just not fair…' _Sakura said in her mind. A flash of all her friends went in her mind. She had to do this, for all of them. There would be one less member after Naruto in the future. Sasuke would have a better life.

Itachi… would he be happy with the outcome? What life would he prefer? One filled with lies, hate, blood, and ultimately, death by the person he loved most, or… none at all?

Sakura's mind was so plagued with thoughts she didn't even realize she was already at her home… not permanent that was for sure. All good things had to come to an end some way or another right? It was just unfortunate that it had to end in blood and death.

_Yes, very unfortunate indeed…_

"I'm home" Sakura said gloomily as she made her way inside the home.

"Sakura-neechan!" Sakura was immediately pounded on by 40 pounds on blue.

"Nice to see you too Sasuke-chan." Sakura said as she patted his head lovingly and put him down gently. "Where's… Itachi?" Sakura asked. Saying his name hurt her a little bit… knowing that the last time she would see him he would be under her mercy… and he would die.

"In his room!" Sasuke replied.

Sakura simply nodded, not oblivious to the fact that Itachi _always _greeted her when she came home. What changed now? Come to mention it, he was acting kind of strange late that previous night. Sakura hadn't seen him all day though.

Sakura had woken up, made some breakfast, and then walked Sasuke to the academy alone. When she came back, the food that was supposed to be Itachi's was gone, and Sakura got right down to cleaning the dirty dishes. After that she had told him she was going to the hospital, in which Itachi hadn't replied at all. She had also told him to pick up Sasuke since she was going to be back late in the afternoon.

Sakura quickly made some food for all of them, and left a plate on the table for Itachi to eat. Was it just her or had he been locked up in his room almost all day.

"Go take a shower Sasuke-chan. I'll tell you a story afterwards." She said, patting his back as he nodded and ran down the hallway. Sakura then went to Itachi's room and knocked on the door. No reply came. If it weren't for the fact that this was not her own house, she would be breaking down walls and destroying some furniture. How much ruder could he get?

"Itachi… there's food down stairs waiting for you." She said hiding her anger perfectly as she simply walked away to her own room.

She quickly took a shower and put on a light green night gown that went past her knees. "I'm all ready" came a voice from behind her door. She opened it and it revealed Sasuke clad in blue pajamas and slightly damp hair.

Sakura simply nodded as she gave Sasuke a smile. She grabbed his hand and they walked to his room, where Sakura gently tucked him in. Sakura started telling him a random story.

"Once upon a time, there was a strong and handsome prince." Sakura started. A few minutes passed and Sakura could clearly see Sasuke was into the story; he would fall asleep soon though.

"And then the prince-" Sakura cut herself off as she stared violently at the window, her eyes narrowed as her chakra flared.

"And then the prince what?" Sasuke asked, waiting for her to continue her story. He only seemed slightly curious as to why Sakura abruptly did such a thing. He ignored it though, he was too into the story to even pay it much attention.

"Then the brave prince got on his horse and rode off." Sakura finished her sentence. She finished telling the story and Sasuke fell asleep shortly after. Sakura quickly kissed him good night as she eyed the window once more. She hurriedly made her way towards her room.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Itachi waited half an hour before he came down to the kitchen and ate his food. Why was it he kept ignoring and avoiding her like this? Was it because of what he heard Sakura say that previous night? It irked him to realize it deeply bothered him. Why was the thing he wanted to know though.

Yes, Sakura was unlike any girl he had met before, and yes, he did prefer her company better than almost anyone else's… but why did that mean he had to be angry about it?

Apparently, the emotion 'jealousy' was still not planted in his mind correctly.

He knew he felt… somewhat special feelings for Sakura, that much was clear. But as to the extent of those feelings, he didn't quite know. How far was he willing to go to make sure Sakura was safe? The question shocked him to say the least… he never thought about someone's importance in his life besides Sasuke's, Shisui's, and his mothers.

As he was thinking, he felt Sakura's chakra flare up dangerously. His eyes narrowed… was something wrong? He sensed as Sakura made her way to the room where she seemed to be searching for something. Once she got it, he felt her hide her chakra and he could no longer sense her. Might there be an intruder or something?

Itachi immediately went into Sasuke's room to make sure he was alright. He let out a small breath he didn't know he had held as he saw Sasuke sleeping like a baby on his bed. He tried to sense Sakura's signature but she hid it well; he could no longer sense it. She could be anywhere by now.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura searched around her room and found what she was looking for; a few kunais was all. She hid her chakra stealthily and made her way to the roof of the building.

**(A/N: Funny how things seem to always happen on the roof no? xD)**

She hid the kunai's under her night gown just in case and walked around aimlessly. She stopped minutes after, and stared straight ahead. She then abruptly grabbed the kunai and threw it behind her. Almost immediately after he heard sounds of metal; the intruder was obviously able to block the throw. He had to be very experienced then… not many could block Sakura's throw when it was thrown full force like that.

"Such a nice way to greet me after we haven't seen each other for a while Sakura-chan." she heard and she narrowed her eyes, still facing the other way.

"Don't speak my name as if you know me." she threatened.

"But I do. That's no way to treat your cousin now is it?" he asked, walking towards her.

Sakura's mind froze as soon as he said 'cousin'. No wonder the voice sounded so familiar. But just who could it be? Wasn't… wasn't everyone supposed to be dead?

She felt arms wrap around her and turn her around. Her eyes immediately met dark pink ones… yup… that was definitely him. Her mind was still shocked. There was no way anyone survived the attack…

"How…" was all that Sakura managed to speak out, her eyes still wide.

"Don't underestimate us Harunos' Sakura-chan." he said showing her a wide grin.

Sakura didn't understand if she should start crying, laughing, smiling, or blasting him with questions… so many things ran through her mind.

She wanted to cry is sadness and in happiness… not knowing he was alive after all this time and knowing he was safe kept crossing her mind. She wanted to laugh at his comment for it sounded so cocky. She wanted to smile because she knew she was not alone anymore. She didn't know if she should ask him hundreds of questions about what happened. And most importantly, she wanted to punch the hell out of him for not telling her he was alive sooner.

Almost 14 years… that was how long she thought everyone was dead… how long she thought she was all alone. Why the _hell _would he visit her all of a sudden? Maybe she really _did _change the past just by being there.

Sakura took her first option, as tears started strolling down her cheeks. She couldn't help it really. Her cousin –which she thought to be dead a long time ago (or really only a few months considering she was in the past)- was standing right in front of her, alive and healthy. Not only that but he might be the only family she had left.

Hiroto wrapped his arms around Sakura as he rubbed her back reassuringly. "Don't cry Sakura-chan… I'm here for you… we all are." He whispered to her.

This comment stopped her from crying momentarily as she looked up. "All… o-of you?" she asked, hopingly.

"I guess it's time to explain everything. Stop crying and listen to the good news I have okay?" he said, chuckling and grinning as he stepped back a few feet. Sakura simply nodded and stopped crying to listen to her elder cousin.

"We don't know just how many people survived… but Marika and Himawari are safe and sound along with a few more kids." Hiroto explained first, knowing that that was what Sakura wanted to know the most.

Sakura sighed in relief; more tears ready to pour down. How could she not be happy finding out that her best friend, her older sister, and some other people were also alive?

"Now for some questions, what are _you _doing being 12 years old and all? Last time I checked you were younger that _Himawari. _He said, grin still in place.

"Uhm… how to explain…" Sakura thought out loud as her thoughts trailed off.

"To being with, is it a henge?" he asked. Sakura merely shook her head. "Might it have anything to do with Matsuro?" Hiroto asked. Sakura flinched lightly and he grinned.

"I thought I was the only one to know about her." She said. Hiroto merely shook his head.

"Most Harunos' know… it's just fortunate of you to have actually _found _her. We've been searching for her for hundreds of years." Hiroto explained. Sakura gasped slightly.

"Now the question is, how'd you find her, where is she, and what exactly happened to you." Hiroto said.

Sakura looked around hesitantly. "I think its best we go and talk somewhere else. It's not safe here with Uchiha's running all over the place here." Sakura said, actually talking about Itachi. Hiroto nodded.

"I think you should change first." He said, eyeing her green night gown. Sakura blushed slightly as she nodded and started walking back to her room. "By the way, that was a nice throw. I barely dodged it." He complimented.

"You're the one who taught me how to throw." She simply said. Sakura grinned as she jumped down the roof. Same old Hiroto.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura appeared back in her room and changed fairly quickly. When she opened her door, she came face to face with Itachi. She jumped back slightly, startled by his appearance.

"What was that disturbance?" he asked simply. He wanted, no needed, to know if the life of his precious outoto was on the line.

"It was nothing" she said, hiding her enthusiasm.

He seemed to notice, and eyed her up and down. "Where are you going?" he asked moving aside as Sakura walked past him and towards the door.

"I'm taking a walk. I have a few things to discuss with someone." He simply stated as she glanced at Itachi; he seemed curious enough. "I'll be back in an hour or so." she said exiting out the door. Itachi was left there, a bit confused. Whoever she met up there… it was someone important.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Was that _Itachi Uchiha?" _Hiroto asked curiously. He had appeared the moment she closed the door to the house. Sakura simply rolled her eyes.

"Yes, what of it?" she said walking down the road.

"Never thought he would be the protective type." He said, a hint of over-protectiveness in his voice.

"I don't see what you're talking about. Now change the subject what was it you needed to talk to me about?" she said.

"All in due time." He said with a with a small chuckle. Sakura simply rolled her eyes… when did he begin to use words like that?

They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached Ichiraku's. "You're… _hungry?" _Sakura asked, sweat dropping.

Hiroto merely shrugged. "I've been running nonstop for quite a while. Excuse me for wanting to eat something." He said, scoffing.

"Whatever" Sakura said as they both entered the ramen stand. It was about 11:00 and Sakura couldn't help but be amazed they were still open. Everything was abandoned though… it looked like they were getting ready to close.

"One bowl of miso ramen please." Hiroto said politely. Sakura zoned everything else out and focused on Hiroto. Him being there with her seemed like a dream… like a lie. Once Hiroto faced her, he started asking some more questions.

"How old are you _really?" _he asked, whispering.

"18" she stated, and then smirked. "Who's the younger cousin now?" she asked teasingly.

"Technically, you're 12 now so you still are." He said grinning. Sakura rolled her eyes. "Back to the topic, how exactly did you find Matsuro-sama?" he asked, making sure there was nobody around them.

"Tsunade-shishou presented me the scroll she was sealed in." she said.

"The legendary Sannin?" he asked.

Sakura nodded. "She's the Hokage in my time" she stated before Hiroto's ramen got placed in front of him.

"Did she know that was a _goddess _sealed inside it?" Hiroto asked before taking a sip of his ramen.

"Now that you mention it… she did say there was a goddess sealed in there." she said.

"Do you know how she could possibly come across such information?" Hiroto asked.

Sakura merely shrugged. "I'm guessing maybe the secret library must have said something in it about the gods. I doubt Tsunade-shishou would tell anyone… she knows better than most what could be the outcome if she did." Sakura said.

"Okay then, next question. Where is she?" Hiroto asked.

Sakura sighed. This was going to be a hard question to explain. "She's sort of… sealed inside my head." She said. Hiroto stared at her oddly, a few noodles hanging out of his mouth. Seconds later he started coughing as threw the noodles up.

"You can't be serious." He said.

"But I am." She said, shrugging slightly.

"Well that's good. She's safe and sound. You haven't told anyone about them, have you?" Hiroto asked.

"I'm not dumb Hiroto. I know what that could cause." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Just making sure. Matsuro-sama is the most important god in our Clan. Please be aware that if she somehow get's captured, this could easily be the doom of _us." _he said, finishing up his ramen bowl. He threw some money on the table before he and Sakura walked out.

"What do you mean of us?" Sakura asked.

"You could say our life line and powers run on that one of Matsuro-sama's. If she ever get's captured, or if her power is used, our power physically weakens. If they use her enough, we might die." Hiroto explained.

"How does that work?" Sakura asked.

"Take in example, Matsuro-sama's power as chakra. After it is used, it must refill itself somehow right? Just like ours." Hiroto explained.

"Yes, but we recharge our own chakra." Sakura stated.

"Correct. Now, the problem with Matsuro-sama is that her power is not naturally regained. She must use someone else's chakra. Whenever they are low, they take our own. And well, you know what happens if _we _run out of chakra." Hiroto explained.

"We die" she said blankly.

"Yup… in previous years, we would naturally not feel the change at all. There were so many Haruno's she could easily just take a small portion from everyone and she would be fine. But now that our number is limited, the change will be drastic." Hiroto explained.

"That would explain why my chakra was totally drained when Tsunade-shishou activated the scroll." Sakura muttered to herself.

"This Tsunade-sama of yours must know more than she leads on then." Hiroto said with a chuckle.

"If what you say is true, about the gods and all, surely there must be several others like that, considering we are not the only clan with a kekkai genkkai." Sakura said.

"Ahh but you see, Matsuro-sama, along with just a very tiny amount, are the only ones with this ability. Considering her power is so great, she won't have an endless supply of it meaning, she would have to refill sometime or another. God's don't have a solid, true form so chakra pathways were never able to form inside of them meaning…" Hiroto trailed off.

"They can't get their own power." Sakura summed up.

"Yes, but that is just a very tiny portion of God's who can't. Other's don't need such a thing." He said.

"What happens now then? There are only like, 6 Haruno's left!" Sakura exclaimed. "And 3 of them have very little amount of chakra!" she added, remembering they were little kids.

"Yes, and that is the sad truth. If we don't manage to increase our numbers, who knows what could happen to us. It really is no problem as long as Matsuro-sama doesn't use too many of her powers or anything like that." Hiroto said with a grin.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"What else did you need to talk to me about?" Sakura asked.

"About the other matter… I suppose we will have to discuss it later. It's already pretty late." Hiroto said, chuckling.

"Where will you be staying? I would be more than happy to let you stay at the Uchiha Compound. They'd never have to know." Sakura suggested.

Hiroto simply shook his head. "It is not your own home. Besides, I have very important matters to look after. I'll be staying in a hotel for the time being." Hiroto said.

"For the time being?" Sakura repeated, a bit happy.

"I'll only be staying here for a few days. After that I should be heading back." Hiroto explained as they walked towards the Uchiha Compound.

"I see… when will you be returning? And when will I be able to see Marika and Himawari-chan?" Sakura asked, enthusiasm never leaving her voice.

"Patience is key, Sakura-chan." Hiroto said as he 'tsk'ed at her like a scolding mother. Sakura rolled her eyes. This was what she had been missing; her family. The feeling of homesickness was slowly fading away… the homesickness she had for over 18 years… Knowing her family was safe and sound couldn't make Sakura feel any better at the time. She felt like she could take on an entire army!

They soon reached the compound and Sakura waited at the door for their goodbyes.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Sakura asked hopingly.

Hiroto nodded. "There is still much to discuss with you… I won't be leaving so soon Sakura-chan." he said, patting her head soothingly. Sakura simply pouted. Hiroto chuckled. "Good night Sakura. And sweet dreams my little cherry blossom." He said, kissing her forehead before rubbing it.

"You still haven't grown into it yet have you?" he asked teasingly.

"Hiroto!" Sakura yelled, pouting slightly as a vain appeared on her head.

"I was joking! You're freakishly large forehead is perfect the way it is."

"Thank you!" she said sticking her head up in pride.

"I'll be going then Sakura-chan." he said before disappearing into the night. Sakura sighed in contentment as she opened the door, a smile plastered on her face. The first thing she saw was a pair of coal black eyes. When she blinked, they were gone… as if they had not even been there to begin with… how strange… how strange indeed. Sakura made sure nothing was out of place, and that Itachi's and Sasuke's chakra signature's were okay.

After she figured those eyes were just her imagination and definitely _not _intruders, she went towards her room where she once again put on her nightgown, and laid on her bed.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come! It would just be a day with Hiroto. Speaking of Harunos', she would definitely have to remember to send everyone gifts. She hadn't seen them in 18 years! Or in reality, a few months since the massacre since technically, she was in the past.

Sakura pondered about what would become of the Harunos' if something ever happened to Matsuro.

'_**Sakura… before you go to bed, I have a slight problem I must discuss with you.' **_ Matsuro said.

'_What is it?'_

'_**Well you see… while you were asleep, I sort of sent… inner sakura… out for a stroll in the Sound…' **_ Matsuro trailed off.

'_She can do that?' _Sakura thought oddly as she raised an eyebrow. Anyone who saw her now would think she was weird.

'_**Apparently… anyway… it seems one of my brothers has gotten himself captured by someone… I believe you know what may happen if someone were to use him for their own wants and needs.' **_Matsuro said, her voice definitely worried. Sakura nodded outwardly, and grimaced once she realized she had done that. She would seriously have to practice on doing this stuff inside her head.

'_**I do not wish to ask too much of you but for our sake, might it be possible for you to rescue him?' **_Matsuro asked.

'**Ehh, forget it Saku. It's not like you have a choice anyway. Just accept and get it done as soon as possible.' **Inner Sakura butted in, sounding stuck up but mature at the same time. Those 2 sides of her really amazed Sakura. She could be really childish, and very helpful, smart, and mature the next second whenever Sakura needed her the most.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _'But Hiroto just arrived! Can't I get a day or 2 before I go retrieve the god?' _Sakura thought, pouting childishly on the outside.

'_**We have time, but just remember, it is crucial for you to save him.' **_Matsuro reminded. Sakura nodded, cursing out loud when she realized she was doing all of that outwardly once again. She _really_ needed to practice on that. The others would look at her oddly if they found her doing that for no apparent reason.

'_Thanks. I really need to make up some time with Hiroto. It's time for some good old family bonding.' _Sakura thought happily as she drifted off to sleep.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There was a knock on the Hokage's door and the Hokage stared at clock. Who on earth was going to talk to him this late at night? He was getting ready to go home already. The old man sighed and muffled a quick "Enter". Who he saw, gave him the shock if his life though.

"Y-You're…" the Hokage trailed off.

"Glad to know you still recognize me." Hiroto said.

"Only Haruno's have pink eyes if you think about it." The Hokage replied.

Hiroto chuckled. "I'm just here to deliver some news and a word of warning." Hiroto explained.

"I assume you have already spoken to Sakura?" the Hokage said.

"I have, but not if this matter. She shouldn't be notified just yet." Hiroto explained.

The Hokage inclined forward on his seat, knowing that something was up. "I do believe Sakura said nothing of you visiting her after the massacre." The Hokage said.

"I suppose Sakura has changed our time period more than she had thought so earlier." Hiroto stated, walking up to the Hokage.

"What news do you bring me then?" the Hokage asked.

"It seems Sound ninja are after the heir, meaning Sakura. Most still think all Harunos' died including the heir, but they have reason to believe otherwise I suppose. They have been following our every movement until now thinking we may have the heir, or lead them to her." Hiroto started.

"Sound ninja?" the Hokage repeated. Hiroto simply nodded his head as he opened his mouth, ready to speak once again.

"Now, in our time without this Sakura, we would naturally be okay since the sakura of our time is still an infant and would not ordinarily take missions. Apparently, there aren't too many pink-haired, green eyed girls anywhere across the lands who aren't from the Haruno Clan." Hiroto said a tad bit sarcastically.

"I see your point." The Hokage added, nodding in understanding.

"Now the problem arises that if word spreads around that the Haruno heir is still alive, there might be a revolt or an all out war between the nations to get their hands on her. I'm pretty sure you know by now that Mist was not the only one with their hearts set on the heir." Hiroto explained, eyeing Konoha through a window.

"Yes, I am aware of it."

"How far are you willing to go for a little girl is the question then. I could easily take her with me to make sure she will be okay. Her real family is what is best for her anyway." Hiroto said quizzically as if testing the Hokage, which in reality, he was.

He needed to make sure he had the best at heart for Sakura. To make sure she would never be hurt or captured by anyone.

The Hokage stayed silent for a few minutes. "I think the best life for Sakura is here in Konoha. Being with her family is important, yes, but I think her life is much safer and more secure here in Konoha. After all, you did say Sound ninja were following your every move. It would be unwise to give her to the most obvious target of them all." The Hokage said. Propping his elbows up on the desk and setting his head on his hands.

"Always were a wise man Hokage-sama." Hiroto complimented.

"Now, as to the future Sakura, how did her coming here affect you at all?" the Hokage asked.

"Well, as you already know, when Matsuro-sama is in need of power, she absorbs our own." He said, nodding his way. The Hokage nodded and he continued. "Well, when Sakura activated the scroll, she immediately sent not only herself, but Matsuro-sama as well- to our time. Thus, when she needed to refill her supply of power, she not only used Sakura's, but mine, Marika's, Himawari's, and the munchkins as well until she was fully restored." Hiroto explained, pausing shortly to take a breather.

"Once we realized our chakra had been absorbed, Marika and I knew it was Matsuro-sama's doing. We didn't know what happened though. Matsuro-sama is usually the ones protecting the Nine-tailed beasts though so we thought maybe something was happening to them. We went to check it out as soon as we found a new place to stay, and we knew Sound ninja weren't following us. That was where we saw Sakura." Hiroto said.

"So they're alive as well. I can't say I'm surprised. You were all very skilled and your bodies were never found." The Hokage said. "Most assumed they took you in for torture or information but I had my doubts about that theory." The Hokage admitted.

"That's why you're Hokage" Hiroto said, grinning. "Anyway, I would appreciate it if you kept Sakura's identity a secret. Those with curious minds might just find out our secret and who knows what may happen then."

"I understand. I'll make sure she only goes on ANBU missions and that her hair is completely covered and not visible to the naked eye. I'm sure she would hate to dye her hair." The Hokage said.

"I would appreciate it Hokage-sama. By the way, what would you do if her identity became known and the surrounding countries allied each other and wanted war?" Hiroto asked curiously.

"That's a hard question. To be honest, I cannot risk the villager's life all for one, precious jewel. I would have to say she would have to be sent with you guys." He said, his grip on his hands tightening. He cared for Sakura, he really did, but one life for 1,000, was not worth it. He had a role to play as Hokage to save as many people as possible with as little sacrifices as he could manage.

"I see… you really are a good Hokage, Hokage-sama." He said, smiling his way. "I suppose I would do the same thing." Hiroto said with a sigh.

"The Hidden Jewel of the Haruno Clan… just like Kikyou, isn't she?"

"You have no idea Hokage-sama. Kikyou was a hidden jewel in more than one way. Legend says she had a power that would give anyone happiness no matter of stormy their life was. The Legend says she was super kind, smart, powerful, caring… words wouldn't even begin to describe her perfection." Hiroto said, amazed at all the wonders that were written about Kikyou.

"I'm sure she's taken those same qualities." The Hokage said.

"Unfortunately. We wouldn't be in this mess if she had." Hiroto said, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Do not take her gift as poison. Something good will definitely come from her power. She has the power to not only destroy lives, but save them as well." The Hokage assured Hiroto.

"I suppose everything happens for a reason… Sakura will definitely be able to get through every obstacle in her way. And I'm just here to make sure she succeeds." Hiroto said, his eyes distant.

"You know, you're very mature for your age. Too mature for your own good if I do say so myself." The Hokage commented.

Hiroto sighed. "It can't be helped, can it? I'm taking care of 5 people; making sure they have enough to survive." He stated.

"I suppose you're right about that. You should lighten up a little though. I can help you out. Just say the word and I can give you whatever it is you need." The Hokage said.

"I appreciate the offer. How about a place to stay for tonight. I will be staying here for another day or so because there are some things I must take care of." Hiroto said.

"And what is that?" the Hokage asked, intrigued.

"Well, it seems everyday Sakura is here, Matsuro is using some of her powers. By this rate, by the end of 2 months, her power will be completely gone. She has stopped herself from taking our chakra even when necessary. I do not understand why though, and it seems we can't contact her either. Anyway, I have heard of this… ritual, of some sort." Hiroto said.

"Involving what?" the Hokage asked.

"Legend says that every 400 years or so Matsuro-sama grows weak, and her power weakens. When that happens, the Clan heir, or the most powerful person, must do this… ritual to restore her powers completely. Matsuro-sama is taking up to much power and we can't refill it for her fast enough. If she doesn't have enough, she vanishes, and with her, so do we. With the help of the ritual we can restore her powers for good… It would keep her going strong for a few years really." Hiroto explained.

"You could say, as Matsuro-sama grows older, the amount of power she can sustain decreases, and it takes more to fill her up. Doing that ritual, would nourish her absorption power and capacity back to it's usual form. The last time we Haruno's have done this ritual was about-"

"400 years ago?" the Hokage guessed, cutting Hiroto off.

Hiroto nodded. "So legend goes, Kikyou was the one to restore her powers… and now It's Sakura's turn as well. Either way, doing the ritual would be a win/win situation for all of us." Hiroto explained.

"Very well, I shall give you a hotel room for a 2 days, I believe that is enough until you depart once again." The Hokage said.

"Thank you Hokage-sama. You have always been so kind." Hiroto said, bowing.

"There's no problem. I suggest you make a henge because rumor about Harunos' are still going around. Having pink eyes and all might make other's suspicious." He warned.

Hiroto nodded and made some hand signs. After the puff of smoke disappeared, he reappeared, exactly the same besides his eye color, which was now blue. "Blue eyes are common enough. I don't find a need to hide my Haruno side." Hiroto stated, his eyes filled with pride.

"Very well. I will summon someone to escort you."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Hiroto said with a bow. They waited patiently for several minutes for someone to arrive.

"Do you have any clue who might be behind any of this Hokage-sama? Anyone smart enough to know about this kind of stuff…?" Hiroto trailed off.

The Hokage sighed and shook his head sourly. "I have not a clue. I'm sure we'll find answers soon enough though. Nothing's ever left a secret for too long." The Hokage said, smiling slightly right before the door opened.

There, it revealed, a half asleep Kakashi. "Please escort this man to the nearest hotel and give the attendant this." The Hokage said, handing Kakashi a slip of paper.

Kakashi merely grunted as he took the slip of paper, and eyed Hiroto. "He shall be a guest here for a few days." The Hokage explained. This would explain why he had to head band, and why he had never seen him around before. Something about him did look awfully familiar though, he had to admit that.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Sayuri, Daichi, Himawari, it's time for training!" Marika yelled loudly, opening the cabin door. It was early in the morning and the light filled the room. She looked around, and found 2 people already up and staring at the lazy bum still in the bed.

"5… more… minutes." He muttered lazily.

"I'll get him up." Sayuri muttered, walking towards him. She got on his bed, and literally kicked him off of it, glaring as he fell ungracefully to the floor with a small _thud. _

"What have I told you about violence Sayuri?" Marika said strictly.

Sayuri merely shrugged. "You're training us… that's violence." She said, jumping off the bed.

"It's more for protection that violence." Himawari said, smiling brightly.

Sayuri eyed her with an unreadable expression. How could they keep smiling even after their whole family was killed? She felt indifferent here when really, they should be acting more like her. They kept smiling and as if nothing had ever happened, and that they weren't the only Harunos alive. And they said something was wrong with _her. _She outwardly rolled her eyes as she walked to the door, hands in her pockets.

----

"Okay! Give me 10 laps and then stretch. I expect this all under 10 minutes so I suggest you get started!" Marika said, holding a kunai in her hand.

"Ready… set…" Marika started. "Go!" she said as she threw the kunai on the floor, next to the 3 kids.

They immediately set off running, Himawari in first place, Sayuri in second, and Daichi falling dead last. After the warm-up, Marika split them up.

"You two shall be practicing on targets now. This is your first time training after all. We must start with the basics!" she said, grinning. Sayuri simply nodded as she grabbed some kunais and stared at the target, glaring almost. She would do this. She would get strong, and protect everyone she cared for. So nothing like _that _ever happened again. No one else from her family would die… not on her watch.

After about 15 minutes of practicing, she eyed Marika and Himawari. Himawari seemed to be struggling as Marika simply stood there, looking at her expectantly.

"Kai!" Himawari yelled, panting heavily.

"Good job. You have now disabled a basic genjutsu." Marika said, patting Himawari on the back. Himawari grinned.

"I'll definitely catch up to Sakura with this rate. I'll definitely protect her." Himawari said, confidence shining all over her face.

"Now for some jutsu's." Marika said.

Sayuri eyed them… jutsu's and genjutsu's were hard stuff to do. Himawari was only a year older than herself. But then again, Himawari had started training very early for reasons she didn't now.

'_Lucky…' _Sayuri though sourly.

"But, I think I should teach you something else first." Marika said, a slight smirk appearing.

"What?"

"It's a Haruno Clan secret having to do with our kekkai genkkai." Marika said, eyeing Himawari specially.

Himawari's eyes widened excitedly.

**End of Chapter**

**:D My goal was to have it updated by a week! I think I made my mark. :D I'd like to thank all my reviewers from last chapter cuz they were super supportive, thus the week update which if you think about it, is much better than 1 month… now don't u all agree? :D **

_**Wish Upon A Wall**_

_**Hyuugalove001**_

_**CrAzYaNiMeFrEaKgUrL**_

_**Just-let-me-go**_

_**YukiGakamo1 (thnx for reviewing 3 times! :D)**_

_**xxxVanstarxxx**_

_**moonshine86**_

_**ita-sasforeva**_

_**VALLED**_

_**Gaarasakuralovers**_

_**And lost but not least…**_

_**Goddess of the Innocent**_

**And thanks to all my other reviewers too! This is a somewhat early update as a thanks for all of the support from all of you!**

**Now… I would really appreciate it if you would review! I'm getting started on the next chapter as you read this exact message and I'm hoping you are all willing to wait 1-3 weeks… I promise it won't take me a month this time!**

**Next Chapter: Haruno Secret Technique (this chapter is mostly with the other Harunos' but there will still be some sakura, Itachi, and Hiroto lol :D )**

**Also, sorry of you see many mistakes! I'm bad at checking my things and it takes me such a long time to do that! If I did, I wouldn't have made my goal… I apologize!**

**I am looking for a beta for this story, 'Somewhere We Belong' and 'Her Love'. So please, if you want faster updates… I'm really in need of one! :)**

**Marzy-chan :)**


	18. Haruno Clan Secrets

**Okay! New chapter up I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters**

_Recap_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_Okay! Give me 10 laps and then stretch. I expect this all under 10 minutes so I suggest you get started!" Marika said, holding a kunai in her hand._

"_Ready… set…" Marika started. "Go!" she said as she threw the kunai on the floor, next to the 3 kids._

_They immediately set off running, Himawari in first place, Sayuri in second, and Daichi falling dead last. After the warm-up, Marika split them up._

"_You two shall be practicing on targets now. This is your first time training after all. We must start with the basics!" she said, grinning. Sayuri simply nodded as she grabbed some kunais and stared at the target, glaring almost. She would do this. She would get strong, and protect everyone she cared for. So nothing like __that __ever happened again. No one else from her family would die… not on her watch._

_After about 15 minutes of practicing, she eyed Marika and Himawari. Himawari seemed to be struggling as Marika simply stood there, looking at her expectantly._

"_Kai!" Himawari yelled, panting heavily._

"_Good job. You have now disabled a basic genjutsu." Marika said, patting Himawari on the back. Himawari grinned._

"_I'll definitely catch up to Sakura with this rate. I'll definitely protect her." Himawari said, confidence shining all over her face._

"_Now for some jutsu's." Marika said._

_Sayuri eyed them… jutsu's and genjutsu's were hard stuff to do. Himawari was only a year older than herself. But then again, Himawari had started training very early for reasons she didn't now._

'_Lucky…' __Sayuri though sourly._

"_But, I think I should teach you something else first." Marika said, a slight smirk appearing._

"_What?"_

"_It's a Haruno Clan secret having to do with our kekkai genkkai." Marika said, eyeing Himawari specially._

_Himawari's eyes widened excitedly._

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 17: Haruno Clan Secret?**

"A-A Clan secret?" Himawari repeated excitedly as Sayuri watched in the sidelines.

Marika nodded as she urged Himawari closer to her. She glanced at Sayuri and Daichi in thought. "I suppose you all should learn this stuff to. It will be a while before you actually practice it but it's always nice to know about our clan's past." Marika said.

Sayuri nodded eagerly and walked towards Marika with Daichi following shortly behind.

"Now everyone sit down and get ready to here a story." Marika said as she sat down on the grass, her feet crossed.

"I thought you said I was going to learn a new technique." Himawari said, pouting.

"You will, patience is key Himawari." Marika started as she watched Himawari sit down sourly. "To understand how this technique works, you must first learn the way of our ancestors." Marika said, closing her eyes and remembering what her previous teacher had taught her.

"Have any of you realized how all the women in the clan, are named after flowers?" Marika started, opening her eyes calmly.

"Now that you mention it, you are, so am I, Sakura is too, and so is Sayuri." Himawari said, glancing at Sayuri. Sayuri simply nodded, though she had truthfully never thought about that.

"And as you assume now, the males have regular names, correct?" Marika said. All 3 nodded simply. "Well, in our clan, the woman actually had the role of the men. Our female ancestors were strong, stealthy, and dangerous opponents. Our men did of course, fight as well. But they could never compare to the females." Marika said, feeling a bit proud of her gender.

"And of course, that still remains the same to this very day. Why do you think Sakura is the rightful heir, and there was never a problem with Okaa-san not having a male?" Marika said, making sure her voice didn't crack when she said 'okaa-san'.

"So… why are we more powerful?" Sayuri asked.

"Why are we more powerful?" Marika repeated. "It is the simple fact, of our name." Marika said, remembering what her teacher had told her.

"Our names?" Himawari repeated, completely confused.

"Tell me, what type of flowers are we surrounded by? Preferably, the ones we mostly have." Marika asked, eyeing Daichi.

"Well, let's see… we have some sun flowers, iris', Jasmines, lilies, spider lilies, cherry blossoms-" Daichi listed off. He was about to continue but Marika cut her off.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you Daichi." Marika said. "Now, what does your name mean, Himawari?" Marika asked.

"My name?" Himawari asked confused. Marika nodded and she pondered on it. "My name means sun flower." Himawari said.

"And yours?" Marika said, eyeing Sayuri.

"Lilies" she simply said.

"And mine?" she asked.

"Jasmines" Sayuri said.

"Okay, perfect." Marika said happily.

"Now, do you realize our names, our flowers actually, are all around us?" Marika said.

"Yes, but what about the cherry blossoms, spider lilies, and iris'?" Himawari asked.

"Yes, I'll get to that, but they each represent people in our life." Marika said. "Cherry blossoms, Sakura. Iris', that would be Ayame, my Okaa-san. Spider lilies, that would be Yuri, _your_ Okaa-san." Marika said.

"Moving on, you know how usually each parent chooses the name for their child?" Marika said.

"Yup!" Himawari said.

"Well, our clan is a tad bit different. We are only allowed to choose the name of the males in our clan. The females, are a tad bit different." Marika explained.

"When a female is born, they go through a ritual. It is an ancient one which has been used throughout our lifespan to… _choose _our names for us." Marika explained.

"How does that work?" Himawari asked.

"Well, the ritual isn't anything special really… for our clan anyway. In this ritual, we place the child in the middle, and surround it by countless of flowers. One by one, the flowers all burn in a bright blue flame." Marika explained.

"And?"

"Sooner or later, only 1 flower should be left untouched. Whichever one it is, that is what your name will be." Marika stated.

"Now, our names are special because they are the secret to our powers. This is where we begin Himawari." Marika said. Himawari grinned excitedly.

"Now, Sayuri, Daichi, I need you to get a safe distance away from Himawari as a precaution." Marika said, standing up. They did as they were told and stood in the sidelines.

"Now, close your eyes and meditate Himawari. Picture yourself in a field of beautiful sun flowers." Marika ordered.

Himawari did as she was told and concentrated real hard. Everything was silent as a small breeze picked up and flew by Himawari.

'_Mmm, she has an air affinity.' _Marika noted, smiling slightly.

"When you reached that place… when you feel complete and in utter peace, tell me." Marika stated. Himawari did nothing but Marika could tell she heard.

"Got it" she muttered after a few minutes.

"Now, where do you see yourself."

"I see myself in a large, frozen lake. I'm trapped inside of the water and can't get out." Himawari whispered, feeling chills go down her spine from the chillness of the image in her mind.

"And outside?"

"I see many sun flowers. They seem… sad." She said, more chills running down her spine as she felt herself go pale.

"As you may have realized by now, whatever you see in your mind, you are actually feeling outside. It will only be a matter of time before you can't breathe since you underwater so listen closely. Focus hard and speak to the flowers. Figure out why they are so sad. And try to make them happy." Marika instructed.

Himawari opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out… it was beginning now. She concentrated harder, wanting to breathe as soon as possible.

'_Why are you so sad?' _Himawari wondered.

A small breeze passed by Himawari once again. '_We're dying' _the wind whispered in her ear.

'_What can I do to help you.' _Himawari thought sadly.

The wind picked up around her and the flowers spoke once again. '_If you save us, we'll give you our power, and protect you until we no longer can.' _The winds said softly_. By now, Himawari could feel herself getting hypothermia and her breathe was running out._

_Himawari stared at the sad, and dying flowers from the other side of the frozen lake. She reached out and tried to touch the ice softly. Something pulled her back almost immediately, and Himawari struggled under its grip. Not only did she feel like she had to save those flowers, but she was running out of breath… what could she do now? She tried to think of a plan, her eyes closing from the lack of breath. 'I promise… I'll save you.' Himawari said as the breeze flew by in her mind. She kicked and struggled some more, hoping it would make whatever it was release her. When Himawari realized she could not shake it off, she bent down, trying to bite the thing off. It jumped back, releasing her but at the same time, punching her, knocking her breath out and hitting her head on the ice._

_Himawari started getting dizzy as sleep over took her. 'No… the flowers… they need me.' a strong voice inside of Himawari urged. Himawari pushed chakra in her lungs, making more oxygen for her to breath, and then started swimming fast towards the ice. "I'll protect you… don't worry!" Himawari thought triumphantly. She reached out towards the wall of ice, barely tapping it with her fingers as everything seemed to slow._

_The ice immediately shattered as the sunflowers broke through them with sharp roots. The softly grabbed Himawari and pulled her up to the same field she saw herself earlier._

'_Thank you.' The sunflowers whispered to her._

_----------------_

"Here is where it comes. Get ready to jump out of the way if necessary." She warned Daichi and Sayuri as the ground below them started shaking slightly. Soon enough, sunflowers ripped up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Himawari in a protective manner.

Himawari opened her eyes, shocked as she stared at the sunflowers protecting her.

"You have now awakened your power. Let's see if you can keep up with it." Marika said as she charged towards her with an intent to kill.

She ran with immense speed and Himawari's eyes widened, she was scared. She knew how Marika could get when she was serious. Marika almost reached her with a kunai ready to pierce through her body.

'_We promised to protect you.' _A breeze told her as the sun flowers charged at Marika, making her jump back to avoid getting hit.

"You have a strong plant Himawari." Marika said, running once again. The sunflowers grew sharp as the roots flew towards Marika ready to pierce through her body. Marika dodged them with a bit of difficulty but managed either way. She made a thunder bolt with several hand signs and got ready to strike Himawari, who was currently defenseless. As the bolt of lightning flew towards her, the sunflowers wrapped themselves around Himawari protectively as the wind around her picked up and flew towards the blot of lighting, immediately stopping it dead in its tracks as it disappeared.

Air was good against lighting, that was a good move, Marika noted as she stopped and jumped back and roots emerged from the ground beneath her and aimed at her. 2 of them managed to scratch her arms and now there was only one thing left to do.

Marika stood still and watched as the roots once again aimed at her. Himawari's eyes widened as she realized Marika wasn't planning to move away. There were a few foot away from her, ready to pierce her heart and Himawari did the only thing she could think of.

"Stop! Enough!" she shouted, and the sunflowers immediately froze, now inches away from her arms, legs, stomach, chest, and head. The sunflowers retreated slowly and went back to Himawari.

"_We hope to help you next time.' _The sunflowers said before they retreated to the ground, and turned back to normal as any other sunflower should be.

"Congratulations, you have now mastered the Haruno Clan's secret technique." Marika said, sighing.

"What?" Himawari asked, completely and utterly confused.

"You should be feeling very light headed right now. Sit down and I will explain the rest." Marika ordered as she quickly healed her arm. "It's safe now, Daichi, Sayuri." Marika said walking towards Himawari. They nodded as they walked towards Himawari and Marika, Daichi a bit frightened and Sayuri completely shocked, and amazed.

"Now, what you just activated was our clan's secret technique. First of all, we are the only ones able to do flower manipulation techniques, but aside from that, the females have an advantage." Marika started.

"What you just did, excluding entering the flower realm and unsealing the flowers, took no chakra whatsoever. But, making your contract with the Sunflowers should have drained you quite a bit." Marika said. "The sunflower, _your _flower, is here to protect and assist you whenever you call on it, or you find yourself in a pinch. If such a case ever comes, it will activate itself if it feels that its master is in danger or in dire need of assistance." Marika stated.

"Now, the phase you did, being underwater and everything, was the task your sunflowers gave you. If you managed to overcome it, you were proven worthy of controlling, them, or being their master. If not, chances were you would never be able to contact them again, or you would have died because of the cold weather, and no oxygen." Marika explained.

"I could have died?!" Himawari gasped.

Marika nodded. "That is why most people only activate it after they reach a certain age, usually around 15 or so. Some females don't even activate it in fear of dying." Marika said.

"Yet, you let me do it?" she asked, panicked.

"I knew you would be able to handle it. As for you Sayuri," Marika said, eyeing the other 2 children, "it will be a while before you can activate it. Your task will be a bit more challenging that's why." Marika said.

"Why?" Sayuri asked.

"Well, each flower has its specific task, and topic. Take example the bell flower. Their task usually has to do with your intelligence and maturity. The cherry blossoms, usually takes a task about love. Sun flowers, have the take of your bravery and strength. Jasmines, mine, take tasks about how gentle and caring you are. Your flower, plant, or tree, decides whether you are able to use chakra, speak, or eve move for that matter. They each have their own conditions and rules, considering they each look for something different in their wielder." Marika explained.

"Have you already activated your own flower?" Himawari asked.

Marika nodded. "I activated mine when I was 12. And just so you know Himawari, you are the youngest person dated down in history to activate yours at such a young age." Marika said, smiling.

"I am?!" Himawari said excitedly.

"Yes you are, but back to the topic. Sayuri. Your flower, or should I say _flowers, _are one of the most powerful." Marika said with a small wink.

"Now, the smaller your flower is, usually means it increases the attack, and decreases your defense. Your name literally means 'small lily', but, your name is quite special. You see, you are available to control more than one type of lily. There are so many; spider lilies, tiger lilies, calla lilies, the possibilities are quite big." Marika started.

"But, you also have a limit. Maybe you can only control 3 types of lilies, or maybe you can control 10. Your number of flowers ranges really. We have no control on it." Marika said.

"Your name, or flower, is quite rare and wanted in our Clan. You would have been a prodigy, similar to Himawari, and Sakura are."

"Now, our clan had many powerful ninja, most of them being girls. We could have had maybe 4 or 5 prodigies, however, they were all annihilated… so it is up to us woman to keep the Haruno Clan from dying off!" Marika said proudly.

"Marika-neechan… with this… do you think I'll be as strong as Sakura?" Himawari asked.

"You should understand the Sakura we know, is an ANBU if not higher right now… the younger Sakura that is your age is definitely not as strong as you… but the Sakura from the future… I'm sorry to say but she can defeat you quite easily." Marika said.

Himawari looked down, struggling with her inner thoughts.

"Okay!" Marika said, standing up abruptly, trying to make sure Himawari wouldn't blame herself once again. "Himawari, go take a rest. Kids, we'll start on some taijutsu." She said cheerily as she stretched her arms.

Sayuri nodded strictly, feeling slightly happier about the new news. She had great power within her… now all she needed was the ability to control it…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura woke up early in the morning and went straight to the bathroom, taking a shower and brushing her teeth. After her shower, she made some quick breakfast and woke Sasuke up, getting him ready for the academy.

She wondered why Itachi never came down for breakfast… he always did, but she brushed it off as nothing and went to drop Sasuke off, wondering what she would be doing for the rest of her day. She thought about searching for Hiroto, but he had promised they would talk, so she guessed he would find her. So the question just remained… what would she be doing for the time being?

She walked aimlessly for a few minutes until a Jounin appeared in front of her, kneeling down. He was obviously there to give her a mission.

"Sakura Haruno?" he confirmed.

"the very same" she said, nodding.

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you in his office." The Jounin simply said before disappearing.

Sakura smiled, knowing she wouldn't be left bored to death before heading off towards the direction of the Hokage tower.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Enter" the Hokage said patiently.

Sakura entered, bowing and closing the door behind her. "You wish to see me Hokage-sama?" she said.

"Yes… I believe Hiroto has already paid you a visit the night before." He said calmly.

"Ummm yea" Sakura said.

"Well then, I must tell you he is also here to teach you a technique having to do with your clan." The Hokage said, remembering the last message Hiroto shared with him before he went to his hotel.

"A new technique? Seriously? What is it?" Sakura asked quickly, obviously excited.

The Hokage shook his head calmly and motioned for her to stop. "Only Harunos' are allowed to know the clan secret techniques. It is forbidden for people outside of the clan to know unless it is decided by clan elders, head, or heirs." The Hokage explained.

"When will he be getting here?" Sakura asked eagerly, sounding like the 12-year-old girl she looked like…

"He'll be back in a few minutes. He had a few things to take care of is all." The Hokage assured.

Sakura simply nodded, waiting eagerly for the arrival of her long lost cousin.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura now finds herself under the shade of a tree, in the same spot where Naruto had been training with Yamato and Kakashi, on that same technique that had killed Kakuzu all those years ago… or… years to come. Either way, the technique was deemed too dangerous to use.

"Hiroto-kun, what are you going to teach me now?" Sakura asked. It felt rather nostalgic… this was what Sakura had always heard Naruto ask… except, you would replace 'Hiroto-kun', with 'Kakashi-sensei, or 'ero-sennin'.

"First," Hiroto said, holding up a finger, "I'd like to start off with a little description, and some questions!" Hiroto said.

"Question number 1! What type of elements do we use for jutsus and whatnot?" Hiroto asked.

"Well let's see… Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Electricity are the main, and most common of them all." Sakura stated.

"But…?" he added, waiting for her to continue.

"But there is also sand-natured attacks, wood natured attacks, ice natured attacks, and some attacks using a different element, or combining them." Sakura said.

"Such as?"

"An example would be one of the previous Kazekage's of Suna. I remember when I was fighting Sasori of the sand, an ex-member of the Akatsuki. He had made the Kazekage's body a puppet due to its unique ability, in which only he could use." Sakura said.

"And it was…" Hiroto trailed off.

"I believe it was the elemental use of iron." Sakura said, recalling past –or future- events.

"Okay, now you must understand, combining the basic 5 elements, could lead to many, many more creations. Some could be blood line traits, which don't necessarily need an element." Hiroto stated. "Now, give me some example.

"Okay! Combining Earth and Water would give you the wood elemental jutsus. My former sensei, Yamato-taiichou was an experiment of Orochimaru's and was transformed.

"Okay then... tell me, what does a flower need to survive?" Hiroto asked, catching Sakura off guard.

"What does this have to do with teaching me my new technique?"

"First of all, it's techniques_**. **_Second of all, it has _everything _to do with it."

"W-"

"Just answer the question." Hiroto said, cutting her off.

"Fine. A flower needs soil, water, and sunlight." Sakura replied.

"Good, now, what basic elements would those fit into?" Hiroto asked.

"Water, Earth, and, Fire I suppose." Sakura said.

"Very good"

"Now, combining Water and Earth gets you…" Hiroto trailed off.

"Wood Element" Sakura answered.

"And Water, Earth, _and _Fire mixed together gets you…" Hiroto trailed off once more.

"Umm… plants?" Sakura said uncertainly.

"And now, you have opened up your mind to Flower-element jutsus" Hiroto said grinning.

"……what?" Sakura said completely confused.

Hiroto sighed as he stood up, brushed himself off, and put distance between he and Sakura. "Make some shadow clones and come at me." Hiroto ordered.

Sakura simply nodded and did as she was told, sending over 20 shadow clones running towards him.

Hiroto made some hand signs fairly quickly as he concentrated his chakra. He quickly thrust his palms forward as he shouted out a name. "Flower Style: Dancing Petal Barrage!"

Sakura just stared in awe… amazed at such a beautiful technique. They were rather beautiful and elegant petals, but as soon as they hut their target, they cut right through them… just like razor-sharp blades. They managed to turn a fight, beautiful… was that even possible? Those elegant petals could probably even make a rather bloody fight look sophisticated and elegant.

Once the technique settled and the petals gently hit the floor, Sakura went up to him. "What just happened?" she asked thinking maybe she dreamed the beautiful episode.

"What you just witnessed, is an flower-elemental technique." Hiroto grinned. "Now, you said there were some elements that could only be used by certain people…. Correct? Just like one of the previous Kazekage's." Hiroto said. Sakura nodded, finally understanding what he was saying.

"Well, this is ours." Hiroto said. Sakura smiled and stared at the pure white petals on the floor. She went on her knees, eager to touch it.

"Be careful" Hiroto urged. "They are sharper than any blade you have soon." Hiroto warned as he bent down as well. He put chakra in his 2 fingers, picking it up with ease. "The chakra acts like a barrier to the sharpness of the blade considering it is made out of chakra too." Hiroto explained.

Sakura followed his example, and pumped a tiny amount of chakra in her fingers, and picked it up easily. She examined it and after several seconds, through it rapidly at a tree. Strangely enough, the petal imbedded itself in the tree, going a bit deeper than any regular kunai would.

Sakura whistled as she stared at the petal. "That can kill" she said flatly.

"Yup, and the only thing you need to do, is be able to control it." Hiroto said, walking back to the tree and sitting down. Sakura followed his example, ready to learn.

"Now, our technique is a bit different. As you can see, when I made my jutsu, my petals came out… plain, white, and ordinary. You wouldn't be able to name to flower even if you tried." Hiroto started while Sakura simply nodded.

"If you did the exact same technique, identically and all, your petals would come out… pink. Or rather, they would be _Sakura petals_." He said.

Sakura stared at him confused. "Why is that?"

Hiroto sighed "This is going to be a _very _long lesson." He said before he started telling Sakura of their past.

**(A/N: Basically, it's everything Marika told Himawari, Sayuri, and Daichi ;) )**

"So… the girls are really the ones that kick the most ass?" Sakura summed it up.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Hiroto said, shrugging as he leaned back against the tree.

"Now, I will explain to you the parts of our Kekkai Genkai. There are many, but they are not as equally important. For you to understand and master the techniques I am about to show you, we will only focus on 3 of them." Hiroto explained.

"And those would be?" Sakura asked.

"Number 1; would be the one similar to the Sharingan, being able to copy all techniques. Number 2 would be the Eye of the Flower, a rather useful technique when searching, or being hunted down. And lastly, you will begin your contract with the Cherry Blossoms." Hiroto said.

"Umm… okay, I get the first one, but… what?" Sakura asked.

"All in due time. Patience is key, Sakura." He smiled knowingly.

"You're sounding too much like Ojii-chan in my opinion." Sakura scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest and turning her head, pouting slightly. He had only been here for 2 days and he was already starting to sound like the Hokage.

"I believe in your time, you have already mastered the Petal Eye." Hiroto said. Sakura nodded, grinning slightly. "Would you mind activating it?" Hiroto asked.

Sakura simply nodded, concentrating and closing her eyes shut. It had been a while since she had last used it… she knew how it was important to make sure people forgot about the Haruno Clan in her time… so only used it when she knew her opponent would never be seen again…

When Sakura opened her eyes once again, they looked almost the same, but her eyes were a bit brighter. They were almost identical to the Sharingan besides 2 things. 1, being that they were different colors, obviously. The other, was that instead of 3 pin wheels like the usual Sharingan, it was decorated with 3 petals, which took an icy blue color, if not almost clear.

"Perfect" Hiroto said, standing up.

"Now, just copy the technique, but don't do it just yet." Hiroto said as he made the hand signs for his previous jutsu. It registered in Sakura's head as she made sure to dodge every single one of them.

"And now that that's over with, we must actually make the contract with the Cherry Blossoms before you could do anything else." Hiroto explained.

Sakura nodded, ready to face whatever obstacle came her way.

Hiroto quickly explained what she had to do, and Sakura was left meditating alone while Hiroto sat back on a tree, waiting to see what would happen. He was sure Sakura could pass it with ease… she wouldn't die because of this.

------------

'_Where am i?' Sakura thought as she looked around at a luscious green meadow. As she looked, people started appearing, smiling lovingly at her direction._

_First there was Naruto and Kakashi. Then came Tsunade, Shizune, Ino, Hinata, TenTen, and TenTen. Then the remaining Rookie 9 joined it, along with Gai, Lee, and Neji. Sasuke appeared next, along with Hiroto, Marika, Himawari, and her real birth parents. And lastly, Itachi appeared, smiling (which she found somewhat odd). He was holding his hand out, expecting her to reach for it and take it._

_Sakura smiled brightly, eagerly running towards her loved ones. At first it looked like no matter how hard Sakura ran, she would never reach them. She stopped, looking around once again, her friends and family still looking eager to meet her._

_Slowly, their smiles turned into frowns as they realized she would never reach them. They started disappearing until only Itachi was left._

"_Itachi!" Sakura tried to yell out, but no voice came out. Sahe touch her throat, trying to make some sort of sound come out…. But to no avail, Sakura was left mute._

"_What are you willing to do for your loved ones?"__ a voice whispered as a gentle breeze played with her hair._

_The scene changed, and there, right in front of her were Itachi and Sasuke fighting to the death._

'_No!' she thought frantically._

_She ran towards Itachi, trying to hold him back. "Itachi! Stop please!" she tried to voice out her thoughts but again, no sound came out. Itachi turned around to glare at her, and shoved her off of him._

"_Stay out of this Sakura." He hissed. "It is inevitable. You're far too weak to avoid this." He said, drawing his attention back to Sasuke._

_The words stung Sakura like a thousand needles piercing her body. She knew this was just a hallucination, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt._

_She decided, maybe if she couldn't persuade Itachi, she would persuade Sasuke. She ran towards him, getting in front of him._

"_Sasuke… please stop this." She pleaded, but once again, nothing came out._

"_Sakura, get out of my way." He hissed._

_Sakura shook her head stubbornly, tears coming out._

"_Sakura, I'll kill you if I have to." He glared directly towards her. Sakura's eyes widened, shocked he would even consider such a thing._

"_Sasuke…" she tried to voice out._

"_You're such a hindrance. This has to end now." He said, making a chidori and preparing to charge at Itachi._

_Instinctively, Sakura grabbed his wrist as he charged, dispelling the chidro, which caused Sasuke to glare a death glare at her._

"_Sakura," he said calmly, thought the anger was evident, "Get out of my way… or die." He stated. Sakura still held on to his wrist defiantly, not willing to let any of them get hurt. "My patience is wearing thin." He announced._

"_I don't care!" she yelled out even though she knew they couldn't hear her. Tears ran down her face, showing just how distressed she was. She couldn't let them get hurt… they were very important people to her… She was suffering… just seeing them like this._

_Sasuke pulled back, making Sakura's grip on him break. He kicked her and sent her flying against a tree. Wood was heard cracking as Sakura felt blood ooze down the back of her head. She tried to move her hand to heal her head, but found her right arm was broken. She tried moving her other arm, which moved, much to her relief, and put it on top of her head. She sent chakra to her head, but felt nothing… _

'_My chakra won't work?' she thought, widening her eyes in horror._

"_This is where you die, brother!" Sasuke shouted, running at full speed with his Chidori. _

"_Likewise, foolish brother." Itachi said, running towards him to, equipped with a sharp katana._

_Sakura stared in horror, as the people she loved ran towards each other, ready to end their lives._

_As they came closer, time seemed to slow down and the seconds seemed like minutes._

'_What will you do to save those you love?' __the same voice rung throughout the battle field._

_Sakura realized what she had to do, and got up, running towards them._

"Anything" _were Sakura's last words as a Chidori imbedded itself on her stomach, and a katana pierced her back, and stabbed through her entire body, sticking out of her right lung._

_Sakura gasped as the pain ran through her body like icy water piercing your skin._

_After about 30 seconds of the same position, they both pulled back and Sakura fell to the floor._

"_Please… no more… don't fight anymore." She spoke, and surprisingly, she was able to speak. Sakura coughed up blood, feeling her life slipping away._

_Itachi and Sasuke dropped their katanas, now feeling unwilling to keep fighting. They disappeared, and Sakura was left there, dying, and in pain._

_The image changed, in front of her stood a strong, proud, and tall Cherry Blossom tree._

_The wind picked up and encircled her. __"You're willing to die for those you love. Why is that?" __the tree asked._

"_A life is not worth living if you can't live alongside those you love most in the whole world." Sakura said, her eyes feeling heavier by the second._

"_You are strong willed. You will go far…" __the tree said as it transformed into a beautiful girl with long, straight pink hair, and ice blue eyes. She wore a plain white dress, which could stand for the bark of the tree._

_The tree or girl walked up to Sakura and bent down. __"You're love for the people around you draws me to you. I would be pleased if you would take my hand." __The tree spoke, extending her hand for Sakura to grab._

_Sakura smiled weakly, slowly extending her hand towards the tree. She was almost there but she fell unconscious, her hand falling on top of the tree's._

_The tree/girl smiled gently and warmly as she patted Sakura's head. __"You're a very strong girl, Sakura. Surely, you'll dream of being with everyone you love will come true." __The tree said out loud as everything went white and vanished._

**(A/N: Rather epic no? xD)**

_----------_

"Sakura get a hold of yourself."

Sakura's eyes opened slightly to see Hiroto's messy hair flying around as she felt Hiroto jump every few seconds.

"Where am I?" Sakura tried asking, but it all just sounded like a long moan as she drawled on, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Don't talk… you have a pierced lung… that won't do you any good." Hiroto stated.

Sakura merely moaned in pain some more, realizing that the pain was _real._

"You never mentioned this." She managed to cough out.

"Well then, it must have slipped." Hiroto grinned, even though he looked serious.

So… everything that happened to her in the dream, actually happened to her in real life. Damn, she definitely took a beating. And she had to thank Itachi and Sasuke for that… just great.

"Where… going?" Sakura tried asking.

"Where do you think? I'm taking you to the hospital. I'm not exactly skilled with medical jutsus." He said sarcastically, jumping down from the building and opening the hospital doors rather abruptly.

"Can I have a nurse here… girl almost dead here." He said as girls started running towards him, examining her body.

"We'll take her off your hands now." A nurse said as she appeared with a stretcher as Hiroto gently lay her down and watched her get taken away.

"Hiroto." She muttered.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Pick… Sasuke… up. He's… in the… academy" She managed to say before the nurses pulled her away.

"Who's Sasuke?" he asked himself deep in thought.

She had said academy, so he was definitely a little kid. Maybe an Uchiha considering she was living in the compound.

Hiroto shrugged, exiting the hospital and walking towards the academy. It was rather late, and they must have gotten out a while ago.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Itachi checked the chakra signatures around the compound for the twentieth time that hour. Sakura was supposed to arrive with Sasuke an hour ago… where were they?

Itachi could only assume the worst… Sakura was never this late. He put on his shoes and hurriedly exited his home, walking towards the Academy. If Sasuke wasn't there, he promised himself he would go on a rampage to find them…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sasuke waited patiently in front of the academy, looking around hopefully for his onee-chan or his onii-chan. It had been an hour already and he was starting to get worried. Did something happen?

"Hey, kid"

Sasuke looked to his left, finding a boy around 15 with messy black locks and bright blue eyes.

"H-Hai?" he said nervously. He wasn't so sure about this guy… First of all, Mikoto had always told him to never talk to strangers. Second of all, he had blood stains all over his clothes… was he going to kill him?

"Do you know where I can find a Sasuke anywhere? I believe he might me an Uchiha or something." Hiroto said, shrugging.

Sasuke gulped nervously. "I-I'm S-Sasuke Uchiha." He said.

"Oh, that makes things a whole lot easier. Might you know a Sakura by any chance?" Hiroto asked.

"Sakura-neechan?" Sasuke perked up, glad to hear about his neechan.

"Umm… yeah I suppose. She told me to pick you up." He said, grinning.

"Why?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well, you see… she kind of got hurt so she's in the hospital." Hiroto shrugged.

"S-Sakura-neechan got h-hurt?!" he panicked, feeling rather scared. He felt tears in the corner of his eyes but tried to not cry.

"Umm… yeah… that's why I kinda have all her blood on my shirt. She told me to take you home." Hiroto explained, trying to make sure the poor kid didn't cry.

"T-That's her b-b-blood?!" He panicked.

"Umm… yeah but she-"

"Did you k-k-kill her?!" he panicked, tears streaming down his face.

"Hey kid, calm down. She's alive." Hiroto shrugged.

"S-So… you d-did that t-to h-her?!" he started crying even more.

"Kid!" Hiroto said, looking around as villagers stared at him oddly for making a kid cry. He looked back to Sasuke who looked all puffy-eyed and red "Ummm…" he hesitated. He told her to do the jutsu, so technically yes but…

"I guess you can say that but-"

"You hurt Sakura-neechan!" he broke down in tears.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Itachi walked hurriedly around the streets, glaring at any fan girl who dared get to close, and almost sighed in relief when he felt Sasuke's weak chakra signature. But, oddly enough, Sakura was nowhere with him. As he got closer, he was able to see Sasuke with another figure, and oddly enough, Sasuke was crying.

Itachi glared at the figure…

"You hurt Sakura-neechan!" he heard Sasuke shout out and Itachi's eyes bled red almost immediately. He appeared in front of Sasuke in a split second, ready to decapitate the guy if needed to.

"Reflect upon your actions. I advise you to leave Sasuke alone." he glared.

"And who might you be?" Hiroto asked, even though he pretty much already knew who he was. He saw him last night after all.

"It is not polite to ask for someone's name before stating your own." Itachi responded. "Now, might I ask why you harmed Sakura? And where her current location might be?" Itachi asked.

Hiroto chuckled even though he was clearly being annoyed by the smart attitude of the little boy.

"My name is Hiroto for starters, Mr. Itachi Uchiha. Me and Sakura were… training… you could say that. And, she is currently in the hospital.

Itachi's glared narrowed into deadly slits. He recognized that name; Hiroto. That was the person Sakura had said she loved. How could she possibly love someone who sent her to the hospital like that?

"Come, Sasuke" Itachi simply stated as he started walking away, towards the hospital.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Hiroto asked, catching up to them.

Itachi glared at him, but kept walking. "I believe Sasuke desires to visit Sakura." Itachi stated while Sasuke simply nodded nervously, still obviously worried.

"She's probably undergoing surgery." Hiroto said, shrugging slightly.

Itachi glanced at Hiroto. "What exactly are her injuries?" Itachi asked.

Hiroto contemplated on answering. This… Itachi person was fairly protective over Sakura; that much was obvious. If he told him now, he might actually end up dead. But then again, he was probably able to match his own skills… if not succeed him.

"You'll find out soon enough I suppose." Hiroto said, walking side by side with Itachi and Sasuke. The whole way, Itachi was glaring daggers at Hiroto, Sasuke was looking back and forth between the two, and Hiroto was just grinning madly at the sheer stupidity of the glaring contest.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"We're here to visit a Haruno Sakura." Hiroto stated.

The nurse looked at them, somewhat fawning. 2 hot guys, one being Itachi Uchiha, and his adorable younger brother, Sasuke.

"I'm sorry… the doctor said no visitors were allowed." She said.

"I don't believe we asked for permission." Itachi rudely stated, glaring at the girl in a bone-chilling way.

The girl whimpered, obviously afraid, and led them towards Sakura's room.

Hiroto couldn't help but chuckle at the way Itachi, the Itachi Uchiha, got his way. A simple glare would send hundreds running in fear.

The nurse opened the door to Sakura's room and let them pass. Sakura, feeling totally bored and drained, turned towards the door and immediately perked up.

"Hi guys!" Sakura said, smiling brightly even though it was rather painful to speak.

Itachi and Hiroto walked in normally, while Sasuke ran in, tears in his eyes. "Sakura-neechan! Are you okay?!" he asked, grabbing Sakura's hand.

"I'm fine Sasuke." She said, patting the boy firmly on his head.

Hiroto chuckled. "You'll be fine after you get your chakra back." He said, patting Sakura on the head, which she responded with a pout.

"I'll be _fine? _I have a katana swipe _through _my lung and a chidori on my stomach… Not to mention I also have several stitches on my head and a broken arm…_seriously? " _she spoke, glaring daggers at him.

Hiroto merely shrugged while he could easily see Itachi glaring a rather malevolence glare.

"You know… you could always ask _it _to give you the power to heal it." He whispered in her ear.

"Are you serious?" Sakura asked and Hiroto simply nodded in response. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Sakura asked, glaring at Hiroto.

"It must have… slipped?" he answered back, questioning his own logic. Sakura merely rolled her eyes in response as she closed her eyes and concentrated. Several seconds later, Sakura's eyes opened and she seemed rather happy. She started healing herself fairly quickly, and she was done in about 10 minutes, the chidori and katana wound taking longer than the other wounds.

"When will we get to training again?" Sakura asked eagerly.

Hiroto shrugged. "Anytime you wish to. The hard part is done though. All we need now is the jutsus and the Eye of the Flower." Hiroto grinned.

"How about tomorrow?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"Sounds good. Same place same time?" Hiroto suggested. Sakura nodded happily.

"Well then, I gotta run Sakura! I have a few things to do." Hiroto said. Sakura frowned, but nodded either way. Hiroto kissed Sakura on the forehead, and then disappeared in a swirl of petals.

"Show off." Sakura muttered, narrowing her eyes seeing as Sasuke was now amazed.

She turned her gaze at Sasuke and Itachi, finally remembering they had been there the whole time.

"Umm… shall we go?" Sakura suggested.

"Sure!" Sasuke said… She got no response from Itachi.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura, Itachi, and Sasuke walked along the street in an odd silence. Sakura glanced at Itachi for a split second. What the hell was he so pissed off about?

"Sasuke-chan, why don't you speed up and save us some seats?" Sakura suggested, wanting to talk to Itachi alone.

"Hai!" he said, speeding off.

"Itachi…" she began.

"Hn"

"What's wrong?" she asked, glancing at him.

"……" no reply came, as if he had never heard the question to begin with.

"Itachi" Sakura repeated once again, getting angry.

"What relationship is yours with Hiroto?" Itachi asked, being straight forward.

Sakura was taken back, shocked. "Why?" Sakura asked.

"I am not too fond of him." Itachi replied, frowning slightly.

Sakura glared; that was her cousin he was talking about. "I don't believe it is any of your concern what he is to me." Sakura retorted, which simply caused Itachi to glare back at her.

'_What's his problem.' _Sakura thought angrily.

"I have some seats!" Sasuke shouted enthusiastically.

"Thanks Sasuke" Sakura said smiling, trying to change her mood. They ate fairly quickly, not talking too much, and then headed home.

**End of Chapter**

**Sorry it took a while people! H/w is killer Dx**

**I won't bore you guys too long… **

**Thnx for all the previous reviews I got! You all know who you are (duh, you reviews =P)**

**Next Chapter: The Cure to Homesickness**

**Update Time: I'm asking for 2 and a half weeks here… I have the chapter already planned out though so I might be able to narrow it down 2 just 2 weeks…**

**Sorry if you see a lot of errors in this chapter! I sort of hurried to finish so I could post it up and not keep you all waiting any longer Dx **

**Adios Peoples! And PLEASE, review… I love to hear what you all think ;)**

**-Marzy-chan :)**


	19. Homesickness

**Another chapter up! Sorry if it took so long people… been very busy and all! Won't bore you all too long!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters (besides the OC's) in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 18: Homesickness**

Sasuke ran ahead, waiting to meet them at the door and Sakura and Itachi were left alone once again. Sakura glanced at him, still able to see a glare on his face. Did she really make him that mad? She did act sort of rude… maybe she should apologize.

"Nee… Itachi?" Sakura started.

No response.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the way I reacted earlier. I guess I just really care about Hiroto is all. You know what I mean right?" Sakura said.

Much to Sakura's confusion, her words only seemed to anger him even more.

"It-"

"Say no more Sakura. You have made it comprehendible as to what exactly he means to you." Itachi said.

"Then why are you so mad?" Sakura questioned.

"I am not angry." He stated, though the anger clearly radiated off of him.

"Right… if you have something to say then just say it Itachi." Sakura glared.

"I have already shared my opinion." Itachi stated impassively, staring at Sakura.

"Well why the hell do you feel that way then?!" Sakura retorted, angered.

Itachi stayed quiet, not wanting to admit the truth –whatever it was for he did not know it himself- and opened the door, and walked –or somewhat stomped- down the hallway, to his room.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke questioned.

"He's just in a bad mood Sasuke-chan. Get ready for bed." Sakura said sweetly, glaring at Itachi's retreating figure.

"Hai" Sasuke said, running down the hallway, muttering something about bubble baths.

Sakura rubbed her temples, wishing Mikoto would be back sometime soon. She was feeling really pissed off and she wished for nothing else but a nice day shopping, and maybe even a nice, relaxing trip to the hot springs.

But then again, she wouldn't mind snuggling up to Ino's big, purple pillow while drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows and telling her all about her exhausting day while Ino gave her a manicure with a perfect white tips at the end of every finger. Then she would start cussing for no apparent reason, explaining how Itachi was such a dumb-ass, and then they would have a pillow fight. And to sum all that up, they would start talking about gossip, which would cause Ino to call up Hinata, and then TenTen, until soon enough, they were all sleeping over at Ino's hugging their favorite stuffed animals while teasing Hinata about still crushing on Naruto, in which she would reply that Sakura was still in love with Sasuke, and then they would all get into a fight about who's hotter, which would always ended up with either Gaara, Kakashi, or Neji.

…Strangely enough.

Sakura didn't even realize she started crying until she heard someone sob. She looked around, expecting to hear Sasuke saying he slipped on the soap, and was utterly shocked when she heard herself crying. That crying soon turned into heavy sobs and Sakura had to run out the door to make sure no one heard her as homesickness washed over her.

Fortunately for her, no one heard it, and now it was just her, and a big Sakura tree. She wiped her tears away, not wanting to cry… but they all just resurfaced as soon as she wiped them away.

'_Don't cry mistress.' _The wind blew and some of the Sakura petals flew from the tree, encircling her, as if trying to hug her for comfort. Sakura, a bit shocked, fell off the tree, not knowing the tress could speak to her like that at any given moment.

The tree's branches moved, catching her around her waist as they reeled her back in, hugging her. _'Did I startle you? My deepest apologies.' _The tree said.

"It's okay" Sakura wiped her tears away. "I'm just not used to this yet, oddly enough. I already have to other beings living inside my brain." Sakura said a tad bit sarcastically.

'_I don't believe any of them could to this though.' _The tree started as it **(will be named she, since she is a girl lol.) **used the sakura petals as fingers, and started tickling Sakura until she cracked a smile, laughing seconds later.

'_Is the mistress feeling better now?' _the tree asked worriedly, her branches retracting back to the way they should be.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do… I just miss my friends in my real time is all." Sakura sighed unhappily.

'**Why don't you tell the Hokage to send them a letter to the future? Tsunade did the same thing.' **Inner suggested.

'_What a stupid ide- Wait… that's a great idea! I can't believe I haven't thought of it before!' _Sakura thought, slapping her forehead.

'_Mistress?' _the tree questioned.

"It's nothing… my other being just said something smart for a change, and suggested I send them a letter back to the future.

Sakura thanked the tree for her hospitality before jumping off and heading back to the compound where she grabbed a piece of paper and began writing.

_Dear_

_Everybody,_

_First of all, I would like to began by saying I miss you all to death! Ino, I have never felt like listening to you rant on about how much you adore Akamaru this much! I have been gone for about 2 months now, and I feel like going back already. I wish I could see everyone's smiling faces at least one more time…_

'_Well, at the age you're supposed to be, anyway.' _Sakura thought, frowning slightly, before she continued writing. Of course, she couldn't exactly add that in there because they weren't supposed to know.

_These past few months have been really exciting for me, and I wonder if I have made a difference in the lives of other at all. You all have probably heard from Tsunade my mission is so top secret, not even the elders or Shizune know the contents of the mission. All I can say is, I don't really know how much longer I'll be staying here. The maximum time would be ranging around 6 months, but I don't think my heart could take that much time. I love you all, and I wish I could send you all messages but I'll just have to narrow it down._

Sakura grabbed 3 extra pieces of paper, meaning to write only 3 messages, and started writing.

_Ino, I find myself in need of your famous hot chocolate now more than ever. Being away from home has been killer for me and I wish for nothing more than your manicures and your soft purple pillow. They were always very comforting in my time of need. This is why I write down this letter. Ino, what would you do if you had to pick between the lives of your most beloved friends, or the person you could very well see yourself spending the rest of your life with? It hurts deeply to know you can have one, but not the other. And now my heart is being divided in 2, one being what I know is right, and the other being what I want to be right. I know your love life is going great Ino, you and Kiba always seem so perfect, but right now, I couldn't feel worse. Its times like these I need a shoulder to lean on, but I know almost no one here, and I feel like I'm drowning._

A tear stained the paper, smudging a very small portion of the writing. She really missed her best friend… It hurt knowing that if she chose to spare Itachi, Sasuke and Naruto would have miserable lives. If she chose her friends… she'd have to end up killing the person she loved… Things were so difficult when you were stuck in the past. Sakura switched papers, now focusing on the next one.

_How is my favorite ramen lover doing? Before you start whining, yes, I miss you too, and yes, I have been eating my weekly supply of ramen. I would never forget your number 1 phrase when it came to ramen: Ramen is good for the soul._

_Please Naruto, just make sure you are safe. I know how you love missions, but remember, Akatsuki is still at large, and I would hate for you to get hurt while I'm away. The only one allowed to hurt you and get away with it is me… and maybe Tsunade-shishou too but that's a different story. Before you start complaining, just please, do this one thing for me. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I lost you Naruto. I love you, and I always will. I hope you know that Naruto._

Sakura stopped writing before more tears dropped down, and she switched to the last letter.

_Tsunade-shishou,_

_I am glad to say so far, the mission has been successful. I have infiltrated the Uchiha Compound, and now I am living with them, or more specifically, the head of the Clan, including Fugaku-san, Mikoto, Sasuke, and Itachi. Oddly enough to say, I must admit it is somewhat enjoyable here. Sasuke is happy… something I haven't seen all my life. Things here are rather peaceful, but that won't stop me from saying I miss everyone. Also Tsunade-shishou, there seems to be more about my Kekkai Genkkai then led on. I am currently being trained by my eldest cousin, Hiroto Haruno. Yes, I know what you must be thinking, I didn't think anyone was alive either. It seems I have affected this timeline more than it seems. I'll keep monthly reports coming to you, so you know how things are going. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask._

Sakura dropped her pen as she stretched and yawned. She folded the letters and put them on her desk, so first thing tomorrow morning she could head over to the Hokage's office and ask if the Hokage could send this to her time.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Bye Sasuke. Remember, Itachi is picking you up. I have already spoken to him about it." Sakura said, kissing his forehead good bye as he ran off to the academy. Sakura smiled eagerly as she squeezed the letters in her hand tightly, eager to send them, and see when she would get a reply. In fact, she was so eager, she jumped up on the roof and started running to the Hokage's office.

As she opened the door to his office, she saw Genma leaving, and she giggled, seeing how different he was in the future.

"Hokage-sama, I have a request if it's not too much to ask for." Sakura said, squeezing the letters tightly in her hand.

He stared at the letter in her hand. "I'm guessing letters to the future?" he guessed, smiling slightly.

Sakura nodded, blushing slightly at the obviousness of it all. "Is it possible for you to do it?" Sakura asked.

He smiled, and then nodded, extending his hand out to take the letters. Sakura handed them to him, bowing in gratitude. "I believe they should be back in maybe a day or two… you should come back then." he explained, putting the letters in a drawer, on his desk.

Sakura nodded, looking at the time eagerly.

"More training with Hiroto?" he guessed, seeing the anticipation written all over her face.

"Yeah… this new training is something I've never done before… I always loved learning new stuff, young or old." Sakura said, referring to her younger self, and her older self.

"I wish you the best of luck with your training then. Just don't overdo it. I heard from Hiroto the hospital incident." The Hokage said, rubbing his beard.

Sakura laughed. "That's nothing Hokage-sama. You should see how reckless the Naruto in my time is." Sakura laughed, recalling past events. The laughter soon died down, as excitement filled Sakura. She couldn't wait to hear from Naruto, Ino, and Tsunade. It had been too long in her opinion.

"Well, I guess I gotta run now Hokage-sama. I should probably get a few things before training. I don't know how long it'll take, and how hard it'll be." Sakura said. She would need to bring some healing ointment, bandages, some more kunais, weapons, and maybe some food. The Hokage nodded, dismissing her with a wave of her hand.

"It's a sunny day today. Don't waste your time talking to an old man like me." he assured, telling her to go already. Sakura nodded, exiting the building through the window.

As Sakura was finishing up with her shopping, she ran into Hiroto, who told her it was time to begin training once again. They went back to the same spot from the day before, and Hiroto began explaining some more things.

"Today, I will be teaching you the Eye of the Flower. As I said earlier, it is a rather useful technique when avoiding an enemy, or tracking them down." Hiroto began, sitting on a tree branch.

"Okay, what must I do first?" Sakura asked.

"First, we must summon several numbers of Cherry Blossoms. After that we could begin. Call upon your tree, and ask for it to disperse itself around the area. After that, I'll tell you the next step." Hiroto explained, sighing as he leaned on the tree bark.

"Okay… how exactly do I summon it?" Sakura asked unsurely.

"Beats me" Hiroto said shrugging, causing Sakura to glare at him. "Males in the clan don't have the ability to contract plants… so I wouldn't exactly know how to call upon it. Try some random stuff or whatever.

'_Tree-san?' _Sakura thought, hoping maybe it could hear her.

'_You called me?' _a short reply came afterwards.

'_Thank Kami… can you… disperse yourself throughout the area? I'm supposed to be learning a new technique and Hiroto told me to do so.' _Sakura explained.

'_Certainly Mistress.' _The tree replied and Sakura lost contact with it shortly afterwards. There was a few moments silence until the earth around them started to shake, and slowly but steadily, Sakura trees started to erupt from the ground until there were hundreds of them all around them. It was practically a forest of pink fluffiness.

Hiroto sighed, jumping down from the only green tree in sight. "Here is what you will due. Your mission is…" Hiroto began.

"Is…?" Sakura repeated.

"Your mission is to find me in this labyrinth." Hiroto said, grinning.

"…What? I'm pretty sure even a Chunin could do that." Sakura complained.

"There are a few rules." Hiroto said, shaking his head. "Number 1, you can't leave this forest. Stay within the Sakura Trees at all times. Number 3, no healing, no inhuman strength, no jutsus. The only exceptions are clan jutsu's, but you only know like… 3 so that won't be of much use." Hiroto explained.

"Anything else?" Sakura asked, not quite understanding how this was considered training. This was just too easy.

"Yeah… just one more. You can't move from the spot you're in now. Once you find me, you take down all the trees, if not… send a fire jutsu hurling to the sky." Hiroto said. "You have a 30 minute time limit." Hiroto explained.

"…How am I supposed to find you if I can't move?" Sakura asked in anger.

"You'll have to figure that out. Remember the small information I gave you earlier. Now… I'll be leaving." Hiroto said before he disappeared in a swirl of white blossoms.

"What the hell?!" Sakura growled, not understanding how exactly she was supposed to do this. Just 30 seconds ago this was as easy as pie… it turns out, pie isn't as easy to make as she thought…

After 5 minutes of trying to sense his chakra signature, Sakura gave up, and bashed her head on the tree trunk, wishing for her brain to think.

Okay, he had said something about the Eye of the Flower… surely Inner or Matsuro knew something about it… right?

'_You guys have any idea what the Eye of the Flower is?' _Sakura asked inside her brain, waiting for a response. Surprisingly enough, Inner was the one to answer her call, instead of Matsuro… odd… usually Matsuro was the one with the good ideas.

'**The Eye of the Flower is a technique only the Harunos' could use which allows the wielder to see things through their flower's perspective. While you are using this technique, you have visual of what you could see, and all the surrounding area of your flower. In a way, it is sort of like the Byakugan, except your vision comes from a certain access point, and you can't see inside a human body, or chakra.' **Inner began. Sakura couldn't help but be amazed at the full description of it all. Not even Matsuro knew! But then again, Matsuro was a God, she didn't need jutsus. This just led Sakura to wonder how exactly inner knew all of this.

'**In your situation, you have about a miles worth of vision all in your mind if you concentrate. Your access point would be the Cherry Blossoms, and since you are surrounded by them, it should be a piece of cake for you to spot him. This jutsu also includes feeling the ground beneath you, seeing as the roots of the tree are connected to the ground. Using this jutsu does not take any chakra unless you actually use it to sense movements or obstacles under the ground.' **Inner described.

'_How does that work?' _Sakura wondered, hoping inner had an answer to that too. It was really true that when Sakura needed her, inner would always be there for the rescue. And when not… inner could be as useful as a hammered, buzzed Tsunade who couldn't even remember her own name.

'**When a female makes her contract with their plant, flower, or tree, part of that plant is merged with the owner's body. You are tagged for life once you accept that contract. You chakra changes ever so slightly, though most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Seeing as you are connected some may or another, you are able to send out small amounts of chakra into the trees, which they then send to their roots, and then they carry them out throughout the area. You're chakra, now fused with the senses of the tree, are even able to detect the slightest movements of a cricket. Once you are done sensing the ground, the roots act like a vacuum, and sucks the chakra back into the roots like it would usually do with water. After that, it gives it back to you, and it is as if you never lost any in the first place. But, some of your chakra may have wondered too far, or maybe it became lost, that it isn't retrievable. Most, but not all will be retrieved while using that jutsu.' **Inner explained.

'_Is that all making the contract with the Cherry Blossom can give me?' _Sakura asked.

'**No… Everything becomes very complicated and most depends on what you control; plant, flower, or tree. And after that, everything narrows down to which plant, tree, or flower you possess. All 3 of them are able to suck up your enemy's chakra if you can trap it somehow, the tree being the one that takes the most, and plants, the least. All 3 are also able to give you chakra whenever you find yourself in need of some more.' **Inner explained.

'_How does that work?' _Sakura asked.

'**You could say they use a process similar to photosynthesis. The Sun God is the God that runs the energy we receive from the sun. With the sun rays, there are very small chakra particles which the plants absorb along with the carbon dioxide. The small amount of chakra can only be absorbed by the plants though, considering it is much too tiny for any human to get their hands on them, or even realize it is there. When it stores its energy, it unknowingly also stores amounts of chakra with it.' **Inner explained.

**(A/N: I'm so glad I paid attention to science classes last year :D. I never thought it would become useful knowing all of this about photosynthesis lol!)**

'_And what else are they capable of doing?'_ Sakura asked.

'**If you wield a flower, you have the ability of absorbing energy, and healing your body. If you wield a tree, you are able to cause strong earthquakes and absorb massive amounts of energy from the tree, which gives you a longer life span, seeing as most trees can live up to 300 years. Plants are able transport you places without using chakra, but the skill level you are depends on how far you can travel. A Genin could probably only go about a mile, while the most skilled could probably travel from Konoha to Suna.' **Inner explained.

'**But also, each specific contractor has a certain power, none other has. So, the cherry blossom has a special power which can only be supplied to you, and any other Haruno with the name of Sakura. It is the same with every other plant, flower, or tree.' **Inner explained, as various types of plants crossed her mind, inner obviously giving her mental images of them all.

'_Thanks inner… you've been a big help… I don't suppose you know how to begin the jutsu… do you?' _Sakura asked, seeing as her time was running out fast.

'**I believe you must ask your tree the answer to that question.' **Inner said, not wanting to make it too obvious that she was actually a real being. Only Harunos' would know stuff like this… not even Matsuro knew this, considering she had never been a ninja. She, and many other Gods, were the beginning of the world… they didn't need jutsus.

Sakura sat down cross legged in a meditating pose, as she contacted her contractor. _'I am in need of your assistance.' _Sakura thought as the wind around her picked up, the Sakura petals which fell off surrounding her body in a calm and gentle swirl.

'_I am ready to assist you Mistress.' _

'_Please tell me how I activate the Eye of the Flower?'_

'_Certainly Mistress.' _The tree replied.

Sakura concentrated hard as the tree told her how to make the hand signs. She sighed deeply once she thought she had it right, and began making the signs. "Flower Style: Eye of the Flower!" Sakura shouted. Almost immediately, she felt herself go dizzy, and the images she saw in her head were blurry.

'_Focus on one specific area. Do not try to see everything at once or you will just mix the images up.' _The cherry blossom said as Sakura nodded in understanding as she shut her eyes harder, trying to concentrate on one specific area.

"Wow" she said in amazement as she started seeing things _miles away _from her.

Sakura got lost at the sheer marvel of it all, she momentarily forgot that she was being timed.

'**Saku, more concentration now, more amazement later.' **Inner reminded Sakura, snapping her out of her bewilderment and making her focus yet again on the task at hand; finding Hiroto.

Little by little, Sakura scavenged the surrounding area, but failed to see Hiroto. That was when she was reminded that she needed to use her chakra to see underground. She then found herself wondering how exactly she transferred her own chakra, into the trees around her.

'**Open up your connection with your contractor and tell her you wish to search underground. The contractor is the one who takes the chakra from you, you do nothing' **inner said, reading her mind… literally.

Sakura did as told, and spoke to the tree once again, and then found her chakra decreasing slowly but steadily. Sakura searched and searched, but to no avail, Hiroto was not found. She had searched all of the surrounding area too.

'_Think Sakura… I you were Hiroto, where would you be…' _Sakura thought deeply as she thought back to lessons with Hiroto, and what he would do, and say.

_Think in unlikely ways…_

_Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer…_

Sakura's eyes opened gently, as she fixated on the area around her. She had forgotten… Yes, she had checked all the surrounding area, but never the area _she was in._

With a little more concentration, she pushed chakra under the ground, and a mental image of a huddled figure came to mind. Yup, that was definitely Hiroto.

Sakura did as she had been told, and she dispelled the trees, and waited patiently for Hiroto to appear. About a minute past before he appeared next to Sakura, a small amount of dirt on him. "Does that mean you found me, or you give up?"

"Of course I found you." Sakura smiled.

"Where was I then?" Hiroto asked.

Sakura smiled goofily, and pointed down. "Where underground though?" Hiroto asked quizzically.

"Underneath my feet." Sakura smiled triumphantly. "You always said in order to fool your enemies, you have to make it seem you're hiding, when in truth, you're just studying their movements. Where better to stay near them, than right underneath them?" Sakura asked.

"Fooling them right under their noses." Hiroto chuckled, giving her a thumbs up.

"You were always the one that told me to fool the enemy by doing something unlikely." Sakura said.

"Like being 10 feet right beneath them." Hiroto chuckled, adding to her sentence. Most ninja wouldn't look right beneath them if their enemy disappeared…

"Now what?" Sakura asked curiously, excitement emitting off of her.

"What do you mean now what?" Hiroto asked.

"What training is next?" Sakura asked.

Hiroto applied chakra on his feet, as he walked up a tree and stood on a branch. "Most of what I could teach you is done." Hiroto answered.

"What do you mean? There's tons of things I haven't learned yet…" Sakura replied, pouting.

"Well, to begin with, I don't know all the female secrets of the Haruno Clan, considering I'm a male. Second of all, most of everything remaining, is genjutsu… which, I am not the very best at." Hiroto answered.

"But we're _all _good at genjutsu." Sakura replied, narrowing her eyes.

Hiroto shrugged. "I guess I was an exception. You'll have to wait for Marika for you to learn that stuff." Hiroto replied.

"Marika-neechan?" Sakura's ears perked up.

Hiroto nodded. "She's busy training Himawari, Sayuri, and Daichi right now… it was her turn to baby sit." Hiroto said.

Sakura frowned slightly. "Himawari-chan doesn't need babysitting. She's more of a grown up than I am." Sakura replied, a flash of Himawari going through her mind.

"Yeah… if you were actually your _real _age…" Hiroto explained.

Sakura shook her head. "You don't know Himawari-chan like I do. She's capable of doing anything!" Sakura replied as she smiled brightly. She suddenly realized just how much she missed her best friend…

An unknown tear fell, and Sakura asked, "When will I see them?"

Hiroto stopped smiling, seeing the hurt expression in Sakura's face, and the tear. "I guess it'll be a while. Himawari is set on being stronger than you before you meet…" Hiroto trailed off, as if saying that the possibilities were very slim. "But, Marika should be visiting you in a while… She's eager to see her not so little sis." He gave her a reassuring grin for comfort.

Sakura cracked a smile, seeing the peculiar things that come from time traveling. She was as old as her big sister now, who had been about _7 years _older than her until just recently. That was a big time skip.

"When are you leaving?" Sakura asked as curiosity over took her.

"Maybe tonight, or tomorrow morning… I should be heading back now… they're left unprotected without me there." Hiroto replied, his voice sounding much darker and serious than she thought needed to.

"Protecting against what? I'm sure Marika-neechan could protect everyone from a few bandits along the way." Sakura said, smiling reassuringly at Hiroto.

Hiroto gave her a nervous frown, as he looked the other way. He was intent on not telling Sakura anything…she might feel this was all her fault, some way or another. She had the tendency to do that; blame everything on herself.

"Hiroto…? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked, confused.

"Ummm… let's just say it's not bandits we're worrying about" Hiroto stated, rubbing his head unsurely. "So who's up for some ramen? Anyone?!" Hiroto stated, changing the subject and walking away, not wanting Sakura to begin getting curious.

Of course, the fact that Hiroto avoided the subject, and changed it fairly quickly only lead to further Sakura's curiosity and protection much deeper. "Hiroto what are you hiding from me?" Sakura asked, catching up to him as she power-walked alongside him as he tried to apparently, run away from the conversation.

"Nothing… it's just… you know, there's more than bandits in this world of hardships." He said, laughing unsurely. Of course, the 'unsurely' part only made Sakura worry even more.

"Hiroto… what are you not telling me?" Sakura asked as she sidestepped and blocked his path any further.

"It's nothing Sakura-chan." Hiroto insisted as he stopped momentarily, smiled her way, and then continued his way towards the Konoha gates.

"Then what was the seriousness in your voice a few minutes ago all about Hiroto? Tell me why you want to get back so soon! Why do you want to leave so badly!" Sakura demanded, her anger rising. He was hiding something from her, she knew that much. And apparently, it was why he wanted to leave so badly.

"Okay, listen here, I have taken the role as the head of that family, and they need me. I have a sister in there, who works her ass of everyday in hopes of one day protecting you. There is also a small boy, who is set on sleeping all day, and hates training because he is convinced that with skill, comes war, and with the war, comes all the death. Not only that, but I have a. unemotional unattached girl, who thinks that the only way to survive in this hell hole is to kill everyone and everything of harm!" Hiroto complained.

"Yes! And Marika-neechan is taking care of them as we speak! I don't see the problem!" Sakura argued, though deep inside, she did. She just felt that for once, she wanted to act the age she was, theoretically speaking.

"Do you think Marika _enjoys _doing this? That she loves training Himawari day and night, until even _she's _exhausted? Or trying to motivate a kid who wants to die in his sleep, dreaming of his deceased parents? Or trying to make an emotionally-unstable girl understand that violence isn't the way of the Haruno?! Which in truth, doesn't exist anymore, because there are only around **6 **of us left! And frankly, we don't know all of the Haruno ways!" Hiroto burst out, making Sakura jump in alert slightly. Sakura just heard him, knowing he was under a lot of stress. This was the best; he needed to get everything out.

"Marika shouldn't be living this life! She should be out with kids her own age, laughing, and training, and even going out with _boys! _Himawari should be getting trained by a real _professional, _not someone who has very limited knowledge! Daichi and Sayuri shouldn't be this unattached to a real society filled with people and they should be entering the academy right now!"

"I want to so badly give them everything they need, but what we have is so limited Sakura! How do you think it makes me feel when I see my younger sister, and 3 of my cousins struggling to make it to the next day?" Hiroto said, the want of giving them everything, in his eyes.

"Hiroto, they might not have everything they need, but they're happy. You know why? Because they have a _family. _Do you know how I felt the past _**12 years of my life**_, thinking I was alone in the world?! How lonely I felt in the middle of the night, when Okaa-san couldn't kiss me good night? When Marika-neechan couldn't read me a bed time story and tell me how I would grow up to be a great ninja someday? Not being able to sleep over at Himawari's because frankly, I thought she was **dead! **Do you know how many times I wanted to watch Okaa-san as she did her traditional dances in her gorgeous kimonos? Or how many times I wanted to train with you? Or go shopping with Himawari-chan and Marika-neechan?" Sakura said, her throat stinging as small tears made their way to the corner of her eyes.

"Do you know how bad I wanted Himawari there went the children started picking on me again? How much I yearned for Marika-neechan's and Himawari-chan's comfort whenever they pushed me down and beat me up?" Sakura said, seeing as Hiroto stared at her with sadness.

"I grew up with a hole inside my heart… a hole all of you should have filled… but couldn't." Sakura said, inhaling and exhaling deeply, trying to stop herself from crying but even her breathing broke and cracked, showing how distressed she felt, opening up those old wounds; memories could truly be ones down fall. "I would have traded anything to be where one of you was… They might be in hard living conditions, but they have each other… that's all they need." Sakura said smiling, as tears rolled down her face.

Hiroto was amazed, hearing her little speech. Truly, she wasn't a 13-year-old girl… she knew better than anyone what it felt to be lonely, but at the same time, she was hardly even lonely. She had her friends, so many friends, which had become her family…

"The grass is always greener on the other side." Hiroto said, chuckling. "I guess we've all been living like fools…" Hiroto said.

"You should listen to your older cousin." Sakura teased, completely forgetting that sad mood that had fallen upon the 2 until just recently.

"Hey, let's not get carried away! As far as I'm concerned, you're still little." Hiroto said, implying to her height.

"Age wise?" Sakura asked, smiling.

"Hmm… technically, you're in the _past, _so you're 13…" Hiroto said, grinning.

"You know what I mean! How old I am now!"

"Then… you're 6… even better for me." Hiroto laughed in victory as he saw Sakura fume in anger.

Hiroto sighed, staring at the clear sky. "I'll be leaving tonight Sakura… I'm sorry but-" Hiroto started, but he was cut off.

"Don't worry about it." Sakura said, smiling. She held up one finger, and grinned. "As long as you come back and visit sometime soon."

Hiroto smiled. "Sure thing kiddo! You can count that Marika will be coming next though… it's my time to baby sit." Hiroto sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Are you implying Himawari-chan needs babysitting?" Sakura scowled.

"As her older brother, yes, I do. Besides, it's mostly training she needs." Hiroto chuckled.

"Good! I will have no one bad mouthing my dear Himawari-chan!" Sakura teased, running as she saw Konoha several meters away.

Hiroto laughed, as he caught up to Sakura and they came running into the village, going directly to Ichiraku's ramen stand to get, well, ramen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After eating their fair-share of ramen, they walked towards the Uchiha Compound, so Hiroto could drop her off.

"Nee, Hiroto, did you do anything to Itachi… maybe, say something?" Sakura asked, thinking about Itachi.

"The Uchiha?" Hiroto scoffed.

Sakura glared at him, "Yeah, Itachi" she said.

Hiroto snickered. "Not much… your boyfriend just doesn't like me being so close with you."

As soon as he finished that sentence, he got knocked off of his feet, landing in a tree with a small crash.

"Hiroto!" Sakura yelled, obviously angry.

Hiroto rubbed his head, and watched as Sakura walked over to him.

"He is **not **my boyfriend." Sakura said.

Hiroto grinned. "But you like him." He winked, getting up.

"Shut up you moron! There are people around!" she said as she put her hands on his mouth, looking around suspiciously. Most of everyone was staring at them, thanks to the commotion, but none of them seemed to have heard. Why you say? Because none of the female population was going on a rampage.

Hiroto giggled mischievously. "You never denied it." Hiroto said, looking at her as if he had all the black mail power he would need.

"Say a word and I'll find a way to tell Marika-neechan you scared away her one and only crush." Sakura dared, seeing Hiroto go blue momentarily.

"You have a deal… but why are you hiding it from Mr. Mighty." Hiroto teased, walking under a bridge.

Sakura froze in her steps, and looked down sadly, as she recalled the time when Tsunade gave her the mission.

"Sakura?" Hiroto questioned as he stopped and turned around. What had caused the sudden moon swing?

Sakura leaned on the railing, and stared at the pitiful reflection of her in the water. Hiroto's face joined in a few seconds afterwards. "My mission…" Sakura said, glaring at the water as if it were the cause of all her problems.

"Your mission?" Hiroto repeated. He knew she was referring to the mission about stopping the Uchiha Massacre from taking place… but, what of it?

"I have order to kill Itachi if I fail to stop him from murdering his family…" Sakura trailed of, staring at a small ripple in the water.

Hiroto stayed quiet, trying to find some words… trying to see if he could say something to comfort her. "I'm sure…" he trailed off, not quite finding them. "I'm sure it won't down to that alternative…" he said.

"And if it does, Hiroto? If I don't manage to stop him? It's almost assure I'll end up losing both ways. In love, and in battle. I've never been able to hurt anyone I love, Hiroto. How am I supposed to defeat him if some part of me refuses to attack him? To see him as an enemy? To acknowledge we are no longer teammates… comrades… friends…" Sakura thought sourly, staring at her face as she saw it mix with many emotions.

"If I can't stop him, that means he doesn't care for me, considering he won't take my advice, or stay here for me. If I fail to stop him, I'll be forced to do the one thing I have been dreading to do since the day I started warming up to him."

Sakura chuckled miserably. "With every day that came, I started warming up to him… and the more I did, I knew I was falling deeper and deeper into my own grave. It was only a matter of time before it finished, and a body had to go in. Now the thing is, whose grave will it be? Because if I fail to kill Itachi, then my present time is doomed, and what's good about being alive if I can't live alongside those I hold dear?" Sakura said out loud miserably. "But then again, it has to be my grave either way, because if I do succeed in killing him, then I'm as good as dead, because really, how good would you feel if you had to kill the person you probably loved?" Sakura said, smiling a not so happy smile.

"Sakura…" Hiroto trailed off, not understanding what to say. He had never been in love with anyone… He couldn't understand these grown-up feelings as much as he wanted to, and it sort of amused him how Sakura was feeling them, as she was currently younger than he was. It was sort of odd how an 18-year old, mature woman, fell in love with a 13-year old boy though…

"The dread in me grew with every day… it grew so much, I thought it would have just been easier if I killed him then, and got it over with. I was right, and I should have done it… because I didn't hold that many feelings for him before…"

"You wouldn't be in this deep shit right now." Hiroto summed up, that being most of everything he understood.

"Yes… and now, every day in the morning, I count down the days until the Uchiha Massacre, and fear I'll never make it in time. I wish time could stop… so I could be with Itachi forever, and never have to leave his side… and nothing would be quite right, but nothing would be into total disaster and chaos…" Sakura trailed off, not understanding her own point. "I guess all good things must come to an end sometime or another." She said bitterly.

Hiroto looked at Sakura bitterly. How was he supposed to help her, if he had outgrown her? She was much wiser, and smarter than he was… maybe even more powerful. He was used to the little Sakura who would depend on him for everything, not matter how small the task was. He couldn't help Sakura in the field of love… and now he felt useless, because his whole life he had been feeling Sakura was his whole life, much like everyone had been feeling. Sakura was supposed to lead their clan to great power, so how was she to do that if she would die, either mentally, or physically. But then again, the mental trauma about killing the one you love might make you go suicidal, and eventually, kill yourself.

"I'm sure it'll all work out somehow, Sakura-chan." Hiroto said, putting a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

"Oh how I wish your words were true Hiroto. I remember I used to treat your words as if a God had said them… you were always so smart, and wise… but I think you're wrong in this one Hiroto… it looks like no matter what choice I take, it'll only lead to the same conclusion… For once, I want a war that doesn't take the lives of people I care for…" Sakura said, taking a deep breath.

"If I fail on my mission, that means Naruto will be hunted down, and with Itachi after him, it would only be a matter of time before he gets captured. If I do succeed, not only would I be left heart-broken, but what would Sasuke think of me… I kill the person he loved the most… Not only him, but the Uchiha Clan as well. I wouldn't even have the guts to stare Mikoto in the face!" Sakura exclaimed.

"The future is always unknown Sakura. No one can predict the future, even if you come from it. Because you coming here, has altered much more than just the option to save hundreds of people, for the price of one." Hiroto said.

Sakura chuckled. "There you go again, going all 'God Like' on me… you sound like a fortune cookie in a way. Always making you optimistic about the future, and making you think if maybe it could be a good thing… but then again, many minds have ways of turning things backwards, and maybe they receive it as something pessimistic…"

"I guess in the end, no one has a clue." Sakura sighed. "And I thought I was in the lead, being from the future and all."

"Like I said, you changed much more than you think when you entered this timeline. And now the question is, is it a good thing, or a bad thing?" Hiroto said, referring to the ninja tracking him down.

Sakura sighed, and nodded in agreement, as they took off once again for the Uchiha Compound. On the way there, Sakura made them stop so they could take a small trip to a jewelry store, where she bought Marika and Himawari each a present. After that, they headed to the Uchiha Compound once again. They arrived in about 5 minutes, and then they said their goodbye's, and Hiroto left, promising that Marika would come in around a week or 2.

Sakura had given Hiroto 4 necklaces, 2 of them were lockets with her picture on them, and the other 2 were necklaces with flowers, one being sunflowers for Himawari, and the other one, for Marika.

They stopped at the doorstep of the compound, and stood there for a while.

"I think I should go before Itachi sees us and decides to stab me with hundreds of kunais." Hiroto snickered.

"Hiroto!" Sakura shouted as her face grew red. As soon as she said that though, she frowned sadly. "I guess this is goodbye." Sakura said, looking at her feet.

"Hey, that world's not going to end." Hiroto said, poking her forehead.

Sakura chuckled. "I know… trust me. It's just hard to say goodbye when I barely got you back." Sakura said, rubbing her forehead.

"We'll be back, no worries." Hiroto said, enveloping Sakura in a bear hug. Sakura smiled sadly, an image of the past in her mind. This was Hiroto's famous bear hugs, and no matter what, they always made her feel so much better.

After they broke apart, Hiroto gave her one last smile before he jumped away, disappearing on top of the roofs of buildings.

Sakura sighed, as she opened the door and entered. She looked around, seeing everything dark. Sakura walked into the kitchen, and turned on the light.

"Anyone home?" she said loudly. Sakura noticed a small note on the fridge.

_Training with Sasuke and Shisui_

Sakura sighed, crumbling the small note and throwing it in the trash.

'_Okay… what's for dinner now.' _Sakura thought, opening the fridge, and rummaging through the ingredients they had, to see what she was able to make. Sakura took out some ingredients, and started making some food, hoping it'll all be done before they finished training.

**(A/N: Be creative about the food ;) **

As Sakura hoped, Itachi and Sasuke came in almost as soon as the food was ready. "Welcome back guys." Sakura said, smiling their way.

"Sakura-neechan!" Sasuke shouted gleefully. Sakura pat him on the head, examining how dirty he was.

"Are you sure you were training? It looks like you were wrestling in the mud." Sakura said, wiping some dust away from his face. Sasuke merely giggled, and blushed lightly. "Go get cleaned up so we can eat." Sakura said as she ushered Sasuke forward, towards the hallway.

"Hai!" Sasuke shouted, running speedily down the hallway, obviously starving.

"Thanks for picking Sasuke up today." Sakura said, serving the food in 3 plates.

No reply…

Sakura looked up, wondering why Itachi wouldn't even talk to her anymore. He was just standing there, unscathed and emotionless. He was training, so why wasn't his close even a tad bit dirty? Oh wait, it was Itachi. Of course it wasn't dirty.

Sakura sighed. "Are you still mad?" she asked, her anger rising. She eyed Itachi, as he stared at her with his cold eyes. Yup… he was still mad.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Itachi could be so stupid at times. Only he would find an excuse to fight with her about her _cousin. _But then again, he thought Hiroto was her boyfriend, and Sakura had never cleared that up for him…

_So whose fault was this…?_

"I don't suppose you might be happy to hear Hiroto has left. I really don't understand why you 2 dislike each other so much." Sakura said, putting the plates on the table.

Sakura was only half-shocked when Itachi replied with a "Hn"

"Of course, he won't be coming back for several months." Sakura said. _'Because he has to take care of the clan… I just hope I can see Marika-neechan soon.'_

"Hn"

"God damn it Itachi. Can you actually speak to me? As in, _**real words**_?!" Sakura exclaimed. She got no response, and Sakura decided to drop the conversation, deeming it worthless to try to talk to him right now. And just in time, Sasuke came down, looking much cleaner than before,

They ate in silence on the most part, and Sakura was mentally counting down the days until Mikoto would arrive. She didn't think she could put up with much more of this.

After they had finished up, Sakura washed their dishes, and then took a nice, warm, relaxing shower before she went to sleep, hoping Itachi's anger wouldn't last too long.

Even though she didn't show it, it hurt her having Itachi mad at her like that. He had never stared at her with that cold gaze, and it had penetrated her deeply. She didn't want Itachi to be mad at her, and now she was starting to feel like this was all her fault… If only she had just told him the truth, and said that Hiroto was her cousin…

And that just led her to wonder what exactly _he _thought Hiroto was to her…

**End of Chapter**

**Mehh… the ending of this chapter was pretty boring… but I had a fun time writing up the stuff about the jutsu and whatnot xD I've had many questions about Sakura's Kekkai Genkai and what not so I decided that I would reveal it all bit by bit :O**

**Sorry it took so long, my computer was having problems, and I couldn't access the internet to post up these stories D: not to mention they're all on here too… but I got it to work, and I'm posting this up super fast to make sure it won't go off before I post it :D lol**

**Anyway, I would appreciate reviews please! Do it for the next chapter, and for the love of Sakura and Itachi :P and do it for the adoraleness that was Sasuke and Naruto as a child =3 cuz we all know they were adorable!!**

**-Marzy-chan :)**

**P.S. I made a new story guys! It's called 'New Sakura' and I would appreciate it if you guys checked it out! I've had 21 reviews for the 1****st**** chapter and 23 for the 2****nd**** so I think it's pretty good lol!**


	20. Friends in Unexpected Places

**Sorry for the long wait people, but I finally got it done, I'm proud of myself lol xD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape or form, unless any of you thought otherwise :)**

_Recap_

* * *

"_God damn it Itachi. Can you actually speak to me? As in, __**real words**__?!" Sakura exclaimed. She got no response, and Sakura decided to drop the conversation, deeming it worthless to try to talk to him right now. And just in time, Sasuke came down, looking much cleaner than before,_

_They ate in silence on the most part, and Sakura was mentally counting down the days until Mikoto would arrive. She didn't think she could put up with much more of this. _

_After they had finished up, Sakura washed their dishes, and then took a nice, warm, relaxing shower before she went to sleep, hoping Itachi's anger wouldn't last too long._

_Even though she didn't show it, it hurt her having Itachi mad at her like that. He had never stared at her with that cold gaze, and it had penetrated her deeply. She didn't want Itachi to be mad at her, and now she was starting to feel like this was all her fault… If only she had just told him the truth, and said that Hiroto was her cousin…_

_And that just led her to wonder what exactly he thought Hiroto was to her…_

* * *

**Chapter 19: Friends in Unexpected Places**

By night time, Hiroto had reached his 'home', and had entered. Being away for 3 days had gone by sooner than he had expected.

Stepping away from the waterfall, and into the cool, lush green grass, he almost got stabbed by a kunai, but he easily deflected it, sending it flying towards a tree. "It's nice to see you too, Himawari-chan." he said sarcastically.

"Hiroto-niichan! You're back!" Himawari said excitedly.

"Yes, and I bring news from Sakura too!" Hiroto said, seeing Himawari's eager face brighten up.

"What is it?!" Himawari asked.

Hiroto shook his head. "How about we wait until I get settled in so I can explain to you all how she is? Nee?" Hiroto suggested, and Himawari nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the big cottage, where everybody was.

Once Hiroto greeted everyone and got settled in, a cup of tea on his hand, he spoke.

"Well, for starters, Sakura's nice and healthy." He said, grinning.

"We all know that already! How old is she?" Marika asked.

"She's 18… taking the age of a 13-year-old. Hard to believe our little Sakura-chan isn't so little anymore, huh?" Hiroto said.

"What else?" Himawari asked.

"Well… she's in the past for a mission, to stop an 'Uchiha Massacre' so told by her. She has Matsuro-sama with her, so no worries there. She hasn't told anyone."

"That's always good to hear." Marika said.

"Oh, and get this Marika!" Hiroto laughed, almost spilling his tea. "Remember Itachi Uchiha right? The last guy you went on an arranged date with?" Hiroto said, not being able to sustain his laughter.

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Sakura's fallen for him! And he likes her back!" Hiroto laughed even harder, not able to believe that was coming out of his own mouth.

"No way, are you serious?!" Marika said in shock.

"Yup… he was jealous of me because I hugged Sakura! Can you believe that!? He has to like her if he gets jealous of any guy approaching her. Trust me; I've seen the way he looks at other guys." Hiroto said.

"But… Itachi's like… an ice cube…" Marika said, laughing.

"And that's what makes it all that much funnier. Our little Sakura-chan has melted him!" Hiroto said.

"Our Sakura-chan is something alright…" Marika trailed off, sighing.

"What's so great about this Sakura girl?"

All eyes turned to Sayuri, who was sitting on the couch, her glare on the fire place intensifying with every passing second everyone talked about Sakura.

"In time you'll understand, Sayuri." Himawari said. Even though she did not understand their conversation, and had been asking herself thousands of times who the hell Itachi was, she knew Sakura was capable of doing some pretty amazing this.

"No I won't!" Sayuri snapped. "As far as I'm concerned, she's just another one of us; another Haruno. She doesn't need to be treated like some… goddess!" Sayuri said, glaring.

"But that's the thing Sayuri. She _is _like or goddess. Legend says she's supposed to bring us to great power; or in our case, _back _to great power. Everything she has accomplished leads to that.

"Big deal, she got 5 years younger. Some anti-aging cream could do that." Sayuri rolled her eyes.

"History only dates about 3 people besides herself that were capable of time traveling." Hiroto said, matter-of-factly. "And let's not forget she found Matsuro-sama without even knowing it, even after our Clan has spent over 500 years searching for her."

"Big deal, luck is on her side. We're all as equally good as she is." Sayuri said. "There's nothing special about her. As far as I know, she's just a bit skilled."

"A bit skilled?" Marika scoffed.

"She's said to be over twenty times more powerful than the average Haruno. And let's not mention Harunos' are already about twice as skilled as regular shinobi." Hiroto said.

"That's over **40 times **stronger than the average shinobi." Himawari said.

"That is, if she gets the proper training from Harunos'." Hiroto added.

Sayuri puffed her cheeks stubbornly. "I'm going to bed." She said, leaving the small cabin.

Silence erupted, and only Daichi's small snores could be heard. "Oh!" Hiroto said, perking up and rummaging through his pocket. "Before I forget, Sakura brought you both something!" Hiroto said.

"She did?!" Both Himawari and Marika said in disbelief.

"Yeah… she told me to tell you it was a small token to tell you both she hasn't forgotten of you guys." Hiroto explained, tossing them their necklaces.

They gasped in shock, as they admired the beauty of all 4 necklaces.

"Hiroto… is this… _gold?!_" Himawari exclaimed.

Hiroto shrugged. "Beats me… Each necklace was about 1500 yen though."

"Hiroto! How could you possibly let her spend all that money on us?" Marika said, punching him on the shoulder.

"Hey! Before you take it up on me, I told her not to spend that much. She said not to worry though; she said there was 'plenty more where that came from.' It probably comes from the future too. She's a rich ANBU no doubt." Hiroto said.

Himawari, who had been playing around with the heart locket gasped, when she managed to open it up. "Look! There's a picture of Sakura-chan in it!" Himawari exclaimed, showing Marika her locket.

Marika quickly snatched her own, and struggled to open it. "You're right! Look at her… she's grown so much!"

Himawari snickered. "She has Auntie's forehead."

Marika smiled a tiny tear on the corner of her eye. "Yeah… she sure does."

* * *

"…And you're going to ace that big test, right Sasuke?" Sakura said, staring down at Sasuke.

"I sure am Sakura-neechan!" he responded, giddy with enthusiasm.

"I'll treat you to some ice cream if you do, Sasuke-chan." she replied, bending her knees and kissing him on his forehead.

"Good… I'll be expecting that ice cream Sakura-neechan!" Sasuke giggled, turning around and entering the academy gates.

Sakura sighed. What a good start to a day.

'_**Sakura?'**_

'_Yes Matsuro?'_

'_**About the mission in Sound… about saving my brother… you know…' **_Matsuro said.

'_Oh yes! I almost forgot my apologies Matsuro. I'll get on that today, I promise!' _Sakura thought.

'**Umm… ya, about that. I've kept track of the whereabouts of the man. He has moved to Mist. Apparently, he was only in Sound for a short while to capture the Sun God.' **Inner said.

'_You've just made my job a while lot easier, inner. Thanks for the help. I'll be going to see Hokage-sama to tell him now.' _Sakura thought, hopping up in the buildings and heading for the Hokage's office.

* * *

"It's nice to see you again Sakura. I was starting to think you forgot about this old man." The Hokage said, shuffling around some paper work.

"Never, Hokage-sama." Sakura replied, smiling warmly at him

"So what brings you here so early in the morning, Sakura?" the Hokage asked.

"Well… I want a self-assigned mission, I guess you can say... in Mist" Sakura said.

The Hokage momentarily stopped playing around with his paper work, and looked up. "What is this self-assigned mission about?" he asked.

"Umm… Clan duties, I guess you can say." Sakura said, shrugging.

"I see… no need to explain any more Sakura. You may leave when you want. Just make sure to tell Sasuke and Itachi before you do." The Hokage said.

"Thank you." Sakura said, bowing.

"Just out of question, how long do you plan to be out?"

"Umm… a few weeks, at most, I believe. Though I doubt this could possibly take more than a week. I'm sorry but this is very important, Hokage-sama." She replied.

The Hokage merely shook his head. "Take as long as you need to. This old man has lived long enough to understand some things must be done." He flashed her a warm smile.

"Thanks Hokage-sama." Sakura said, going up to him and giving him a hug. "You're like the grandfather I've never had… Jii-chan." she giggled softly.

The Hokage was shocked at first, but he returned the hug shortly afterwards. "I appreciate your words of kindness. You should be going now, if you plan to leave tonight." He said.

Sakura nodded, as she pulled away from the hug and jumped out the window.

The Hokage truly was a kind old man. It was such a shame she didn't really get to know him in her time. She had been too busy fawning over Sasuke, fighting with Ino, and looking pretty. She still couldn't believe, to this day, Lee had fallen for her, and had promised to protect her till the day he could no longer do so. Lee was so kind to her, and she had only rejected him in a harsh way. She had not deserved Lee's kindness, and she had only realized that after he had fought Gaara…

Well, at least he was better now, she told herself.

Heading back home, her thoughts drifted off, and she found herself in front of the Haruno Compound…

'_What am I doing here?' _Sakura thought, wanting to look inside.

Sakura shook her head. No… she couldn't go in there. She was ready to endure physical pain all over again. She wasn't ready to go back in there, after all those years. She hadn't been in there since she was a toddler; since the day the Clan had been slaughtered.

Sakura turned around, and walked towards the Uchiha Compound. While walking, she started thinking about how long Mikoto would be away. _'Actually… she should be arriving tomorrow. Maybe I should just wait until tomorrow. Would be good, Matsuro? Leaving Tomorrow morning wouldn't delay us too much, would it?' _Sakura asked.

'_**Tomorrow morning is fine, as long as we make up for lost time.' **_Matsuro replied.

Sakura nodded, smiling. So she'd be able to give Sasuke his congratulations ice cream after all.

* * *

Opening the door to the compound, she saw Itachi putting on his shoes. "Where you headed, Itachi?" Sakura asked.

"Training" was his sole reply.

"With Shisui again?" she asked, hoping he'd stop ignoring her for at least a minute so she'd get some answers.

He shook his head. "Kakashi, Anko, Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai"

Sakura's ears perked up. "Do you mind if I… tag along?" Sakura asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"If you wish to." He said, walking past her.

Sakura glared at him, but said nothing. If he wanted to act all moody, then he could. She sure as hell wasn't going to stop him.

They walked along side each other, no words being spoken at all. They were headed to where Sakura recognized to be, the old –or soon to be new- Team 7 training grounds.

"Itachi! You're finally here!"

Sakura looked around to see a mini-Kurenai approaching them.

She stared at Sakura in curiosity for a while. "Wait a second, pink hair, you must be Sakura! You're Kakashi's and Itachi's new teammate, right?" Kurenai said.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you…" she trailed off, waiting for her to fill in her name, even though she already knew it.

"Kurenai, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard much about you; inhuman strength huh? That's pretty amazing stuff." Kurenai said.

Sakura laughed. "It involved very hard training; it better be amazing." She said, and they both laughed together, before the others approached them.

"So this is the Sakura I've been hearing a lot about." Asuma said, and Sakura nodded in response. "I'm Asuma; pleasure to meet you."

"Such… such… such… such beauty!" Gai exclaimed, running up to her and taking her hand. "Will you please be my girlfriend?!" he exclaimed, crying anime tears, a sudden background of a sunset in the beach appearing.

Sakura could only sweat drop at the sheer resemblance of Gai, and Lee.

Before Sakura could speak up, and obviously, reject him, Kakashi spoke.

"Sorry Gai. Sakura and I kind of have something going on." Kakashi joked –though it sounded like no act in Gai's ears- wrapping an arm around Sakura's waist.

Sakura just stood there, clueless.

"Kakashi! No, how could you!" Gai said, devastated.

"G-Gai-san…" Sakura said, sweat dropping.

"All's fair in love and war." He said obviously bored.

"No… I cannot accept this! From now on, you and I are rivals Kakashi!" Gai said, fire burning in his eyes.

'_Is this how their ongoing rivalry started, without Kakashi even knowing it?' _Sakura questioned, her sweat drop growing by the second.

"Come on, knock it off guys. We came here to train, not to have a love triangle." Anko said, punching Kakashi on the head and dragging him away. Sakura merely giggled. Maybe they were just meant to be.

"Itachi! Train with me first!" Kurenai said, giggling as she dragged Itachi away.

Sakura examined Kurenai. Her wavy black hair was a bit shorter than she always saw it, barely passing the nape of her neck.

Looking at her smile and giggle was when reality hit her like her inhuman strength.

_Kurenai totally had a thing for Itachi_

Now not only did she find herself glaring at her, but she also saw Asuma glaring at Itachi. This had made her stop her glaring momentarily. So Asuma has had a crush on Kurenai since they were children? That was a shocker.

"My beautiful cherry blossom, shall we train?" Gai offered her, appearing right in front of her gaze, interrupt the image of Asuma.

"Oh… yeah, sure." She said, smiling at him. "Asuma, train with us?" she offered, and he stopped glaring at Itachi, and nodded at her.

She giggled.

They started working on Taijutsu, and Sakura was barely paying attention, too caught up in her thoughts. Gai was exactly like Lee, in almost every aspect! It was hard to believe they weren't related at all!

Asuma was the same too. He was barely even paying attention to their match, and mostly glaring at Itachi because Kurenai kept flirting with him. It was okay, Sakura though; he'd end up with Kurenai anyway.

Sakura froze in her spot, and she almost got kicked in the face by Gai. She brought her hands up to her face to dodge the blow but it was far too late. She was only able to lessen the damage from the blow.

Sakura was sent flying backwards, and hit a tree, and she almost immediately felt blood oozing from her head. She didn't pay any attention to it though.

She kept staring at Kurenai, Asuma, and Itachi.

Maybe Kurenai only stopped liking Itachi because he had killed his clan, and left the village. If Itachi never did any of those things, maybe she would always like Itachi. She would never notice her feelings for Asuma if Itachi were here… would she? Would Asuma be left all alone?

"-Kura! My beautiful cherry blossom my humblest apologies!" Gai shouted, bending over in front of her.

Before she even realized it, everyone was right next to her, asking her if she was okay. "I'm fine guys." She said robotically, staring at Asuma.

Kurenai gasped. "Your head… it's bleeding!" Kurenai said.

"Yeah… I had stitches there yesterday… the wound probably wasn't all the healed and it reopened." Sakura explained.

"She needs to get to a hospital." Asuma said, picking her up bridal style and running out of the field. She didn't even process what was happening until she felt air on her face.

"Asuma…" Sakura said, questioning her. He looked at her, blushed a bit, and looked back up.

The blush made her snap back to reality. "Asuma, I'm a medic. I can heal myself, you don't need to worry." She assured him. He stopped running, and put Sakura down gently.

She started healing herself as told, and Asuma just stared. "See, no biggie." Sakura gave him a grin.

"That's good." Asuma said.

There was a short silence. "…Asuma, you like Kurenai, don't you."

Asuma turned scarlet red almost instantly. "W-What?!" he stuttered out.

"So my assumption is right." Sakura giggled.

Asuma was at a loss of words, but decided to settle with "It doesn't matter anyway."

"And why is that?" Sakura asked.

"Because she likes Itachi too much. She has eyes for no one but him!" he whined.

"Well, we'll just have to change that, won't we?" Sakura said, winking at him.

"W-What? Why? I'm sure she'd be happy with Itachi." Asuma said.

"Haven't you seen Itachi at all when he's with Kurenai? He doesn't harbor any feelings for her besides those of a friend." Sakura said, though she was mostly hopeful. But really, it didn't seem Itachi liked Kurenai like that… it was just too odd, to think of them that way. Not only because that was a former sensei who trained with her on het genjutsus, but because that was Itachi, who she had surprisingly enough, managed to harbor feelings for.

"I could tell." Sakura said after a few seconds, to reassure Asuma, who sighed, giving in.

"So what am I supposed to do? She won't even look at me when Itachi's around." Asuma said.

Sakura shrugged. "Just don't lose faith. I'm sure when you're all much older; you and Kurenai will be together, having a child…" Sakura trailed off. She wasn't even joking or anything. She was being as serious as Itachi. That was saying something.

"Let's go back then?" Asuma said, and Sakura nodded, as they headed back, beginning to talk about Gai and his strange taste it fashion.

* * *

Itachi sent Gai a glare, ferocious enough to kill if he were paying attention. How was it possible he even got a blow on Sakura? Gai was Chunin… Sakura was **ANBU. **Maybe she was sort of distracted by something? He knew he sure had been, because most of the time he had been trying to watch Sakura and Gai. Damn Gai for making him think he could have Sakura, was exactly what his inner had been cursing the moment he asked her to be his girl friend.

What a ridiculous couple that would have been, his inner said, not trying to be rude or anything. Any couple that had Sakura in it, and not him, looked ridiculous to his inner, actually.

Figures…

After a while, they saw Sakura and Asuma coming back, both smiling and laughing happily, as if nothing had ever happened. They actually looked a little too friendly… nah, maybe just his inner's imagination.

But then again, they were being very friendly. Most of it had to do with the fact that they both had something in common; they didn't want Kurenai and Itachi together. A sort of alliance had formed between the two, and Sakura had sworn she would try to get the both of them together, even if it killed her.

After things resumed back to normal, Anko and Kakashi kept up their fighting, and so did Kurenai and Itachi. Sakura and Asuma fought hand-to-hand for a while, Gai running 300 laps for punishment, but they later decided to lay down under a small tree nearby and just talk and relax.

Which, in reality, sort of pissed Itachi off, set Gai on fire, and amused Kakashi. Kurenai was upset from the lack of attention from Itachi, and Anko sat down on a tree with Kakashi, laughing her ass off at the scene. Gai was now weeping in a corner.

"Why don't we all have a picnic here?" Sakura suggested, once Kurenai and Itachi stopped training, they been the last to finish.

"That sounds wonderful!" Gai said, and Sakura smiled at him, which sent his heart racing.

"Can you two get the food while I go pick Sasuke up? The guys can help you too." Sakura said, looking at Anko and Kurenai.

"That sounds good." Kurenai said, getting up. She was about to open her mouth, ready to suggest Itachi go with her. Sakura elbowed Asuma in the rib sharply, and he immediately jumped, and stuttered out.

"I'll accompany you Kurenai, if you wish. I think Itachi should go with Sakura to pick up Sasuke."

Though the last part wasn't necessary, Sakura was amazed at his improvement. At least he wasn't giving up that easily.

Kurenai's shoulder slumped a tiny bit, but she nodded and smiled either way.

"I guess I'll go get eating utensils and a blanket with Kakashi." Anko said standing up, and dragging Kakashi to his feet along with her.

As they each split up, Itachi and Sakura were left to walk in silence towards the academy.

"Mikoto is coming back from her… mission… tomorrow, right?" Sakura said, trying to start up a conversation, though she half guessed he wouldn't be replying to half of her conversations. And if he did reply in some way or another, he would probably respond by nodding, "Hn"ing, or glaring at her, if she dared insult him.

Itachi gave a curt nod.

Another silence erupted…

"You know, Gai and Asuma are really nice. I can't believe I've never met them before this."

"Hn"

"And Kurenai and Anko too." Sakura said.

"Hn"

"Anko must have something to do with Kakashi, doesn't she? She's always yelling at him, and hitting him. I find it sort of cute, believe it or not."

No reply.

"And don't even get me started with Gai though!" Sakura exclaimed, half glaring at all the people around them. Itachi wasn't making this anymore easier.

"I rather not discuss about Gai's abnormal taste in girls"

**Snap**

Oh… that definitely came out wrong… extremely, horribly, wrong. "Excuse me?" Sakura asked, glaring at Itachi.

Itachi merely glanced at her for a split second, before looking straight ahead once again. "Hard at hearing?" Itachi asked, thought it really didn't sound like one. She was too angry at the moment she really didn't know what it had sounded like.

"Oh no, I heard you crystal clear, Itachi." Sakura glared.

"Then there is no need to repeat myself."

"You know Itachi; you could be such a jerk at times." Sakura exploded, and her hand moved on its own, as she slapped him on the cheek.

The sound seemed to echo and Sakura was much too angry to understand that would have been a very bad move if it were anyone else who did that. "Go pick Sasuke up by yourself, if you find me to 'abnormal' to be hanging out with you. If you will excuse me, I'm leaving. Tell the guys I had to go do something." Sakura glared, spinning on her heel and stalking away, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall all the while.

'_Itachi can be such a bitch!' _Sakura thought angrily, nose flaring.

Sakura made her way to the compound, and went to her room, packing her stuff. She really didn't want to see Itachi right now, or in particular, any Uchiha. Because damn it, they all seemed to look alike one way or another. And so, the best way to avoid them all was to leave the village.

It was time to go on her mission.

'_Matsuro, I'll be leaving earlier than expected. Don't try to stop me.' _she thought, grabbing some random ninja clothes and dumping it onto her bag.

'_**I just ask you wear your ANBU uniform to conceal your identity is all, Sakura.' **_Matsuro said after a short while.

Sakura went into her closet, pulling on her ANBU uniform and strapping on her Kunai pouches and things like that.

Sakura tied her hair back in a high pony tail getting it out of the way, and strapped her katana to her back. She remembered when Sai had given it to her for her 17th birthday. She had sealed it in one of the scrolls she had taken to this time line.

After getting everything she needed, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, and reappeared in the Hokage's office, knelt down, head bowed in respect.

"Hokage-sama" she said calmly.

"Already Sakura…?"

Sakura gave a curt nod. "I think I get this mission over with before things go bad." She stated, standing up.

The Hokage merely nodded in response. "Have Itachi and Sasuke been notified?" he asked.

"Sasuke has not, and I have told Itachi I am leaving." She said, lying a tad bit. If she didn't tell him, he'd make sure someone would do it for her, she knew that. And frankly, she didn't feel he had to know her location every minute of her life.

"I don't want Sasuke freaking out because I am going on a mission by myself." Sakura stated, and the Hokage "ah"ed in response.

"Very well... I expect you back in a week, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good luck Sakura." He said, and she nodded, hopping out his window and jumping from building to building, making her way to the front gates.

Jumping onto a new building, she almost bumped into someone and she had to somersault backwards to avoid clashing into the person.

Oh, and just great. It was Itachi with Sasuke on his back.

'_Hide the pink hair. Hide the pink hair. Hide the pink hair.' _Sakura kept telling herself, cursing a few times.

Let's just hope they didn't see her hair…

"Sakura-neechan…?"

Damn… tough luck.

Sakura took off her mask. "Sasuke" she said, smiling.

"You have a mission?" he asked curiously, looking at her outfit.

Sakura nodded. "It's a very long mission so I wanted to get a head start." She said, avoiding eye contact with Itachi at all costs.

"But… my ice cream." He whined, showing her a paper with an 'A+' on it.

"It'll have to be some other time Sasuke… This mission is extremely dangerous and must be taken care of as soon as possible.

A flash of curiosity flashed through Itachi's eyes, she noticed.

Crap… she probably shouldn't have said that…

"What rank is the mission?" Itachi asked.

"Umm…" _'What rank is the mission, Matsuro?'_

'**It can easily be classified S-Class' **inner replied.

"S-Class" Sakura repeated.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "And you carry no team?"

Sakura's eyes went hard. Anymore questions and he might as well make himself come. "Information is classified, and telling you any further information is forbidden. Of course, you know that, don't you, Itachi." She said, giving him a stoic expression and putting on her porcelain cat mask.

"Hn" he replied.

"I'll be leaving" Sakura said, giving Sasuke a quick pat on the head and becoming invisible to the untrained eye.

Sasuke was left searching for her, while Itachi watched her retreating figure.

…Was this all his fault?

* * *

Sakura jumped from tree to tree, enjoying the small breeze and she sped up. Times like these, she would be extremely lonely. Should would be now too, if it weren't for the fact she had 2 beings inside of her head… They made good conversation starters and often good motivators as well.

'_So tell me a description of the man who has the Sun God.' _Sakura said, waiting for inner to continue.

'**A rather chubby man… Scratch that, he's a fat ass… Black hair, green eyes. About 5'7… mustache which needs to be badly shaved… Yellow teeth, greedy looking man… anything else?' **inner said.

'_What object is the Sun God in?' _Sakura asked.

'**He's in an old ancient artifact that was used from previous ancestors to summon and or worship the Sun God. That man must have good connections. It's shaped like a sun, really. About a foot in diameter.' **Inner explained.

'_Is there anything else I should now? Or is this mission as easy as it sounds?" _Sakura asked.

'**Well… he seemed to have many skilled body guards… ninjas. They're different though… not like any regular ninjas, you could say… I don't know why though… I just get a weird vibe from them… you should be very careful if you ever meet them.' **inner said, and Sakura nodded.

"_What makes them seem so ominous?" _Sakura asked.

'**I don't know… they seem so ominous. Always in the shadows, they are. I can never see much of their faces, and never their eyes.' **Inner explained, sounding unsure and hesitant. Sakura nodded, though she wished she had more information about the ninjas.

It would be nightfall soon, and she wanted to make it at least one third of the way there tonight, and arrive early in the morning the day after tomorrow.

After that, she would need to locate the man, and the artifact, and make a full-proof plan. Even hire back-up if needed to. The way inner had spoken… it scared her a bit. Inner was always some-what stuck up, when talking about opponents. She would always say they were weak, even when they were quite difficult to defeat. So to say they might actually trouble, was saying something… she would need help if it came down to that.

After running until the sky was bright with shiny stars, Sakura made a small fire, and grabbed an apple from her bag, eating it fairly quickly. It was dark out, and you couldn't really see anything more than 4 meters away from you, if it weren't for the small fire.

Hearing a flock of birds suddenly fly away in a hurry, Sakura's ears perked up, and she listened intently. She quickly destroyed the fire, and with the little time she had, buried it, making it seem like there had not been anyone at all.

Sakura jumped up on a tree and waited, the Petal Eye activated just in case. It was too dark to see with just the naked-eye.

Minutes seemed to go by like hours, until Sakura finally heard bushes rustle, and a shadow appear from it.

The shadow seemed to trail around, almost as if lost, until it settled in the middle of the small field, and bent over… right where her small fire had been. Sakura cursed her luck. She wasn't dealing with an amateur; that was for sure. And if he wanted to pick a fight, Sakura would have to choice but to annihilate him before he became a problem.

The shadow stood back up straight, looking around analytically, from what Sakura could tell. He seemed tall, and carried a large sword, which Sakura had realized, he had grabbed.

Before Sakura knew it, a water dragon was sent her way and Sakura had to somersault backwards to dodge and avoid it. She landed on another branch several feet behind her, legs in a crouching position, with one hand on the branch as well. She expected the other branch and saw it was totally trashed.

If it weren't for her petal eye, she would probably be dead by now, she realized. It was a good thing she had decided to activate it, or else she would currently be looking like that tree.

Sakura jumped up high without any warning, grabbing a higher branch, and swinging forward. She did the same steps a few more times before she let go for the last time, and was left falling. She aimed a kick for the figure, and his big sword suddenly appeared by her foot, blocking her move.

Once Sakura hit the floor, she tried to trip the large figure, only to have him jump backwards, swinging the sword wildly around as if unwrapping something.

Wait a second… she had seen this before…

"Hoshigaki Kisame?" she asked out loud, and his wild moves faltered slightly, confirming her thoughts.

"I don't suppose you're the ANBU after the bounty for my head from a while back." Kisame said, not moving any further. Sakura watched slowly, watching his breathing, which was slightly heavy.

"No, I am not. I just wish to go to Mist peacefully, without any disturbances." Sakura assured.

Kisame snorted. "And I'm a pretty little ballerina who only wishes to dance for a future." he said sarcastically.

"I could tell you are injured. You wouldn't be able to keep up with me with your injuries, however grave they might be. I don't wish to fight so just-"

"Come quietly and let you kill me? I'd have a better chance trying to flee." Kisame replied.

Sakura took a small step forward, and then another, drawing out her katana.

Almost instantly, Kisame drew his on large sword, ready to dodge and counter.

Sakura took another few short steps, before holding out her katana, still in it's sheathe. She bent down, and put it on the ground slowly. She stood back up, and then back away slowly. "I really do not wish to fight. I am just here on a mission to Mist, and it does not involve you." Sakura said.

"I'm a top-ranked missing-nin. Most people would want to take me down whenever they so had the ability to do so." Kisame replied.

"Well, I'm not most people." Sakura assured. Almost uncertain, she turned her back on her enemy, which, she had specifically been told not to do several times, and started walking slowly into the forest.

"Where are you going?" Kisame questioned.

"I'm going to get some more firewood to start another fire. You have my weapon, so I hope that is enough trust. You may stay, or you may go, but trust me, you won't go far with those injuries. After all, the ANBU after you would just take it as an advantage to your weakness. I'll be back shortly." Sakura said, stopping shortly, and then continuing on into the darkness.

Sakura let out a small sigh, deactivating her Petal Eye. That was a close call. Though theoretically, she should be fighting Kisame, because not only was he an enemy of Konoha, but because he would soon join the Akatsuki as well… he would be after Naruto soon enough. But, even if Kisame was injured, it would take a lot out of her to beat Kisame, let alone kill him. She wouldn't have enough strength to obtain the Sun God, if she even had enough to begin with.

Sakura quickly got the firewood, and when she came back, she could only hope Kisame would take her advice. He didn't seem like a dumb-ass, she thought. He'd know what the truly smart thing to do was… but then again, trusting an unknown nin like that so easily was rather foolish too…

When Sakura appeared once again, she looked around the clearing, and Kisame was nowhere in sight. Maybe he had decided to leave because he obviously didn't trust her.

"There you are."

Sakura jumped, and looked to a tree, where his big bulky figure was leaning. She reached out instinctively as Kisame threw something at her, and she recognized it as her katana. "Finally trust me, I see." Sakura said.

"Well, I have no real choice. There's an ANBU out there ready, waiting to slice my throat. I figured the only way to stay alive was to stay with you." Kisame explained.

Sakura nodded, bending over and starting a fire, this one much bigger than the previous one. She would need light to inspect Kisame's wound after all.

"You know, you're very short." Kisame drawled on, walking next to her, watching her as she started the figure.

"And what are you, a giant?" Sakura said, looking at him through her cat mask.

"I'm a mere 7'1, thank you." He said. "What are you, 3'5?" he joked.

"I'm 5'4" she said, glaring at him through her mask.

"Someone didn't get a very good growth-spurge." Kisame chuckled.

Sakura smirked, taking off her mask. "What do you expect? I'm still 13 years old."

…

…

…

"You gotta be shittin' me." Kisame choked out.

Sakura glared at him. "What? Suddenly find it amusing you gave up against a 13 year old girl, with _pink _hair?" Sakura mocked.

Kisame looked at her hair, and it was, indeed, pink. "You probably can't even beat a genin!" he mocked.

"Hello… ANBU uniform here… I even have the appropriate tattoo." Sakura said, pointing to the tattoo. She had gotten it a few days ago, before Hiroto had arrived.

"Can't possibly be real." He said, dismissing the statement with a wave of his hand.

Sakura did a few hand signs as she sent some fire to the wood, letting it light. "Let me examine those wounds." Sakura said, pointing to Kisame, who seemed to be closely hugging his abdomen.

"What are you gonna do? Put a band-aid on it?" he mocked.

"I'm a medic-nin as well, if you must know. Best there is in Konoha. And I could tell its deep and serious by the way you can't stop flinching every minute or so, and because you tend to lean to your right." Sakura glared.

Kisame merely grinned, but complied, put his weapons and bag down, and sat down next to Sakura. Sakura took off her gloves, and looked at the bloodied shirt. "From here it looks like a lighting-technique, considering the shirt looks burned, and the skin around the wound looks dead." Sakura said.

"Very good… pinky might actually be good at something." Kisame joked. Sakura only took a moment to glare at him, before putting her eyes back on the wound. "You mind taking off the shirt?" Sakura asked.

Kisame raised an eyebrow, but them complied and took it off.

"… did that technique go… _through _you?" she asked, astonished.

"Yeah… I was caught off guard." Kisame said sheepishly.

"And to think you become one of the most dangerous people on earth." She muttered to herself before her hands started to glow green. "Don't worry, this won't hurt that much. You'll just feel a tiny sting of pain." Sakura reassured him, as she set her hand gently on the wound.

It was quiet between them while Sakura healed him, and the only sounds that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, and the slow sound her chakra would make while entering his system.

After about 15 minutes of complete silence, Sakura spoke up. "So what bring you here to the middle of nowhere, on the road to Mist, besides the fact that that it is your original village?" Sakura asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"I just have some business to take care of. It's nice to visit home every now and then too." Kisame explained "What about you?"

"Believe it or not, I have an S-Class mission to accomplish. And, failure is really not an option." Sakura said, healing some of the decaying skin.

Kisame chuckled. "That sounds so odd coming from a 13-year old girl…" Kisame trailed off.

"I know of a few others who are 13 and ANBU." Sakura protested.

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "Name one."

"Well, Itachi Uchiha for starters." Sakura said, though that was the only one she could obviously think of.

"Now there's a name I know. Heir to the Uchiha Clan, right? One of the most prestigious Clans in Konoha, along with the Haruno and Hyuga Clan." Kisame said.

Sakura's ears perked up. "What do you know about the Haruno Clan?" Sakura asked out of curiosity.

"Not much really. But, I did hear the clan got assassinated a while back. Not one survivor… a waste of a powerful clan, I say." Kisame said. "Though if you ask me, there has to be some survivors." Kisame said.

Sakura's flow of healing chakra stopped for about half a second, whom Kisame noticed, and then she began healing him again. "What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you have this clan, as strong as or even stronger than the Uchiha Clan. Their power was said to be great; too great. That was what had started a great dilemma back in the days. I doubt there isn't at least one Haruno left. Probably an infant." Kisame said.

"But then again, we can't say for sure. Konoha elders and the Hokage have refused to give out any information about the deaths. But, so told by the elders, there wasn't even one survivor. There had been many spies enter the village, to confirm that. And, as far as they could tell, there were no more Harunos'. And that's the end of that." Kisame said, noticing Sakura was all done with his healing, and she had stopped long ago, actually.

"Those Mist ninja were rather dumb though." Kisame said.

"And why is that?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Because… The part of having the Haruno Clan return was only part of the reason they killed them all. It was in fear. Fear that another war would occur, and the Fire Country would rise to greatness, all because of them. If they knew about the Haruno Clan, they would have known they hate war. In all the past wars, the Haruno Clan as refused to involve themselves in any part of it. Of course, Mist was displeased, but the other Shinobi Nations were glad."

Sakura sat there in silence, staring at the fire. "It's sad isn't it? When many lives must be ruined for a totally ridiculous goal that can only cause pain and destruction…" Sakura trailed off.

Kisame stayed quiet. "You're different." Kisame said softly, staring at the fire as well. Sakura glanced at him for a second, waiting for him to explain. "You know too much, for your own good. Your eyes show wisdom far past your age. Death isn't something new to you, is it?" Kisame said.

Sakura slowly shook her head. "You could say I have experienced death ever since I was a small child. For me, death has always been around the corner, just waiting to leap out in front of me…… I guess I'm just blessed with that curse." Sakura said softly.

"You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time?" Kisame asked.

"You could say that, I guess… but I suppose it's much more complicated that it looks. So complicated in fact, that I don't even know it all." Sakura mumbled.

Kisame chuckled. "Most missing-nins are like that. Either blamed for something they shouldn't be blamed for, or just simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time."

They stayed quiet for a few more minutes.

"As a child, I used to always think missing-nins were the lowest of the low…"

'_Used to think men like Itachi Uchiha were despicable, evil people.'_

"But I guess not all of them are… but then again, I can't just judge all of them because I have happened to befriend a few of them. You could do something very despicable in the near future after all. I would never find out about it either." Sakura said.

"… You hungry, Kisame?"

"I guess." Kisame replied as he caught the apple that was thrown his way. He took a bite of it and ate slowly.

Sakura went through her bag, grabbing a sleeping bag out of it. She set it up on the ground, and glanced at Kisame. "Would you like to use it? You should be pretty sore from the wounds. I'm sure the floor won't satisfy you at all." Sakura said, smiling softly.

"I have my own in my bag." Kisame said, glancing at his bag, which was dropped next to his sword.

"I'll set it up for you then. You shouldn't move too much, or else your injuries won't heal correctly." Sakura explained.

Kisame nodded, thanked her, and watched her as she shuffled through his belongings and grabbed his sleeping bag. It was large, blue, and decorated with fish. She didn't comment, though she easily let a smirk slide across her face.

She placed it next to her own, about a foot and a half away. She also placed it right next to the fire too, which was slowly dying off, one by one.

Sakura helped Kisame into his sleeping bag, and then went inside her own, green one. By that time, the fire had only consisted of a few red sparks under the burnt branches, and a tiny little flame that would probably go out any minute now.

Kisame and Sakura laid in silence, staring at the sky. "Makes you wonder what's really out there, doesn't it?" Kisame said.

Sakura shrugged as Kisame turned his head towards her. "Not if you already know what lies behind the stars." Sakura commented, looking at a small shooting star.

More silence…

"Makes you feel small doesn't it? This, honestly, is saying something, considering you are the tallest man I have seen in all my years of living." Sakura said.

"You've only lived a short 13 years. Tell me that 10 years from now when you're 23, kid."

"If you feel small, think how small I must feel." Sakura said softly, a tint of amusement in her voice.

Kisame chuckled. "You must feel like a one-celled organism." Kisame grinned.

"I used to…" Sakura trailed off. "But now, I feel a bit… bigger… you can say… Because I guess, we're not alone in this world. It makes it seem a lot… smaller." Sakura explained.

"That's easy for you to say, considering you have your whole life to make the right choices, and make many friends. Once you hit my age, with as many mistakes as I have made, your pretty much as small as you really are." Kisame said, staring at the sky once again. "I don't have many people, kid…" Kisame trailed off.

"Well… you have me… And I suppose that makes you bigger, even if it only helps an inch." Sakura murmured, glancing at him.

Kisame made a funny sound from the back of his throat. "You trust and befriend too easily kid." Kisame said.

"Thanks… its one of my special qualities…" Sakura muttered, getting an image of Naruto, Sai, and Itachi. The 3 hardest friendships she had ever made. Well, it should've been hard. It was fairly easy, thanks to her ability to befriend quickly.

"More like a curse." Kisame's hoarse voice said. "Trusting to easily can get you killed out here kid. Haven't you heard, it's a dog-eat-dog world out here. Survival of the fittest, practically."

"Surviving is much easier when you're not alone." Sakura mused.

There was a short silence.

"… You're not so bad, kid." Kisame said.

"Thanks, I guess. You're pretty nice yourself, even though you look like an S-Class murderer." Sakura said.

"It's because I am, but I appreciate the attempt at the compliment, I suppose." Kisame said.

"Bringing out the best in others is also a special quality of mine." Sakura stated, quirking her lips into a small smile, as she glanced at Kisame.

"……I didn't catch your name, did I?" Kisame said.

Sakura shook her head. "Can you keep a secret?" Sakura asked.

"I'm too old to spread gossip." Kisame replied.

"It's Sakura…"

…

…

…

"Sakura… Haruno"

**End of Chapter**

**Awww, don't you all just love Kisame =) he's one of my favorite Akatsuki characters, and character over all. Because he's just enormous, blue, and… funny! Reminds me of a killer stuffed animal lol…**

**Sorry it took so long for this next chapter :o been really busy. Oh, and by the way, people who haven't already done so should look at my profile to vote on the poll question 'should sakura stay in the past or go back to her own time'. **

**Really need that to know the ultimate plan of this fic :)**

**I wanted to update 'Why Us?!' before posting this but I'm having a small writer's block in that story _ sorry people, you'll have to wait for that update for a little longer… I don't want to make a crappy update D:**

**I plan to update 'New Sakura' next, though I'll seriously try to update 'Why Us' before that. But I've gotten a sudden brain blast in 'New Sakura' so I doubt it, sorry people :( hope you're not angry with me for the lack of updating.**

**Review please!**

**-Marzy-chan :)**


	21. Starlit Sky

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 20: Starlit Sky**

There was silence throughout the small area, the sparks of fire between the burnt logs, now dead.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kisame started laughing… _hard._

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked, pouting.

"You're telling me, you're a Haruno, and survived the Haruno annihilation, when no sole survivor was found?" Kisame said, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern.

"You do not have to believe me." Sakura said, shrugging.

Kisame chuckled. "Well, until I see any proof I don't think I will." Kisame grinned.

Sakura smiled. "We'll only see each other for at most, the rest of tomorrow, and early morning the next. There won't be enough time so show you." Sakura said.

"You can always show me the… Petal Eye, was it? I remember reading about it in a library in Mist when I was around 20 or so. That was the only thing listed on the Haruno Clan though, besides the statement that the clan had many secret techniques and jutsus." Kisame said.

"Well, I surely am not going to show you any of the secret techniques." Sakura protested.

'_Mostly because of the fact I don't know many.' _Sakura thought, sweat dropping.

"And, if you were a _true _friend, you would believe me." Sakura said.

"Oh, now I'm a true friend?" he scoffed. "I met you an hour ago and now we're best friends?" he chuckled.

Sakura giggled. "That is why I am not showing you anything. Who are you to just show you one of my clan's secret techniques?" Sakura joked.

"Or maybe you just don't know any." He said.

Sakura sweat dropped. _'You might be right about that…' _she trailed off.

"Whatever, I guess you'll never be able to prove if what I'm saying is true or not." She said, closing her eyes.

"Night Kisame" she muttered.

"Night, Sakura _Haruno_" he teased her.

Sakura rolled her eyes, but dismissed the subject, feeling tired. Healing his injuries had really taken a lot out of her, considering that injury had literally gone through him. And not to mention she had to heal the decaying and dead skin, which was hard as well.

They both chuckled just once more, before they fell asleep.

* * *

"I'm starting to believe more and more you really are an ANBU." Kisame said, staring down at Sakura.

"Why, because I could keep up with your speed?" Sakura asked.

"No, because you single-handedly fought against 5 rogue ninja without breaking a sweat!" Kisame exclaimed, staring behind him where you could see broken trees and such, indicating a battle had just taken place there.

Sakura and Kisame jumped on a tree, and continued their way to Mist.

"I've had better battles than that." Sakura said, dismissing the comment with a wave of her finger.

"Like what?" he scoffed. It was hard to believe this little… shrimp, was talking like that.

"Well… I've fought over 3 S-Class criminals in my time, and won, mind you." She said giving a small glare, knowing he was ready to open his mouth and try to twist her words. He immediately closed his mouth and grinned at her response.

"I've also fought with Itachi Uchiha, thought it was just a little match."

Kisame raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "How long did the battle go on before he kicked your ass?" Kisame asked.

Sakura snorted. "It went on for over 2 hours. And by the way, it was a tie." Sakura said, glaring at Kisame for even suggesting the fact that she was too weak to defeat Itachi. But then again, most people couldn't defeat Itachi so… yeah, whatever.

"Now I'm not sure if I should praise you, or slit your throat for lying." He chuckled.

Sakura laughed. "The only reason you should have for decapitating me is because you are jealous of my mad skills." She said, sticking her tongue out childishly. She looked the age, so why not act the age?

"Oh shut it kid. I'm sure if we ever went head to head in a real battle I could beat you." He said, giving her a triumphant look.

Sakura contemplated the possibilities. "Yes, but you're 10 years older than me. What does that say?" she mocked.

"You're freakishly skilled." He responded.

"Oh, it does? I thought it just meant you're just weak." She joked.

"Ha-ha, not funny kid." He gave her a small glare, but then they both laughed afterwards.

* * *

"I'm back!" Mikoto shouted, entering her house and looking around, eager to see her precious Sasuke-chan, her treasured Sakura, or her dear Itachi-kun.

"Okaa-san!" she heard almost immediately, having Sasuke jump in her arms.

"Oh I missed you too sweetie." She said, kissing his forehead.

Itachi appeared beside her moments later. "How was the mission?" he asked, nodding at them both in regards.

Fugaku and Mikoto stared at each other for a split second. Mikoto laughed oddly. "It was fine dear." She said, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

"Where's Sakura? Working late at the hospital maybe?" Mikoto asked, wanting to ask her how her week with the boys was.

"Sakura-neechan went on a mission yesterday in the afternoon!" Sasuke said.

"Alone?" Mikoto asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"It must be a simple mission then." Fugaku said, dismissing it.

Itachi shook his head. "From what I heard, it is an S-ranked mission."

The room stayed quiet. "And you're sure she's going alone?" Mikoto asked, not washed with worry as she made her way to the kitchen, everyone following behind her.

"Yeah! She said not to worry though." Sasuke explained.

Mikoto looked down at Sasuke with pity. He was too naïve. How were you _not_ supposed to worry? It's an _S-Ranked mission! _To say you'll be perfectly fine… its… ridiculous, really.

Mikoto looked at Fugaku, and even he, looked slightly troubled. It wasn't that he warmed up to Sakura; they hardly talked. It was the fact that he had respect for her strength, and she seemed to lighten the mood in the house, that made him slightly worried.

Mikoto then glanced at Itachi, and he was looking at a random object in the kitchen, his face expression as blank as ever.

She felt downcast now. Ever since Sakura had come, his completely blank faces and glares had become a rare sight to see… and now it was back.

"Well, I guess I'll make dinner now." Mikoto said, sighing.

They all nodded, and went off to do their own things, whatever they were. Itachi was most likely going to lock himself in his room for the rest of the day, with the exception of eating, or using the bathroom. Sasuke would probably be in his room too, feeling as lonely as ever, now that Sakura wasn't here. Asking for Itachi to train with him or for Fugaku to teach him something would be close to impossible. After all, Itachi would be too busy living his life and Fugaku would be too busy planning for Itachi's future and what laid ahead for the Uchiha clan to worry about such silly matters as training Sasuke.

Too bad Fugaku didn't know it wasn't silly. Sasuke was just as important to Mikoto as Itachi was, though she couldn't be so sure about Fugaku. She knew sometimes Sasuke felt underappreciated, and she had been hoping Sakura was able to take that loneliness away…

And well, Mikoto would be stuck sitting in the living room, sipping tea, and wondering just how long this loneliness would go on until Sakura came back. She could only hope for the best. It seemed Sakura was the only one keeping this family together; or keeping it sane for that matter.

How long would it be until Itachi cracked under all the pressure Fugaku was putting on him? How much time would it be until Sasuke ended up hating them all for the loneliness he had grown up with? How much more would she have to wait until Fugaku got carried away with the plans for the Uchiha Clan? Though she loved him very much, she had to admit Fugaku could be pretty downright idiotic at times, if he doesn't think things through thoroughly.

Oh, she could only hope…

* * *

_Somewhere in the not so Near Future_

"Tsunade-sama" Shizune said quietly, waiting for her to look up from her paperwork.

"What is it, Shizune?" she asked, peering over a file.

"It's a letter… or letters, more specifically." she said softly.

"Well, who's it from? Bring it over." Tsunade said, hurrying Shizune with her hand.

"It's from Sakura."

At said name, Tsunade hurriedly dropped all she was doing and snatched the letters from Shizune, looking at the headings. One to everyone, one for Naruto, one for Ino, and one for her… Most likely the one for her was the mission report, she guessed.

"Shizune, summon the Rookie 9, and Team Gai please. Just tell them we have letters from Sakura, is all. Not very urgent, if they don't wish to come." Tsunade said. Shizune nodded, bowing, and exiting the room.

Tsunade only had to wait for a few minutes. Not everyone came, as she guessed. Neji was on a mission with Chouji and Kiba, so they obviously weren't here. Who did come though, were Ino, Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and TenTen. Kakashi was probably in the hospital with Lee and Sai because of his previous mission.

"Is it true? Has Sakura really written us?" Ino asked as she burst through the door, eager to read the letter of her best friend.

Tsunade nodded. She held out 3 letters in her hand, leaving the one for her on her lap. With Naruto here, anything was possible and she just wasn't willing to take the risk of the mission being found out.

"Well what are you waiting for Baa-chan!? Open them up and see what they say!" Naruto exclaimed eagerly.

Tsunade opened the first one, for everyone, and began reading out loud.

Dear

Everyone,

"First of all, I would like to began by saying I miss you all to death! Ino, I have never felt like listening to you rant on about how much you adore Akamaru this much! I have been gone for about 2 months now, and I feel like going back already. I wish I could see everyone's smiling faces at least one more time… These past few months have been really exciting for me, and I wonder if I have made a difference in the lives of others at all. You all have probably heard from Tsunade my mission is so top secret, not even the elders or Shizune know the contents of the mission. All I can say is, I don't really know how much longer I'll be staying here. The maximum time would be ranging around 6 months, but I don't think my heart could take that much time. I love you all, and I wish I could send you all messages but I'll just have to narrow it down."

Everyone was quiet.

"T-Tsunade-sama" Hinata said shyly, as always.

Tsunade swallowed nervously. "Yes Hinata?" she asked. Sakura had made a big, big mistake.

"W-Why did Sakura s-say she had b-been gone for t-two months? I-It's only been one m-month." Hinata said.

Tsunade mentally flinched. "I don't know. Maybe she was writing quickly so she messed up. Or she just lost track of time." Tsunade shrugged, trying to make it as believable as possible. "Being far away from home does that to people."

Naruto shrugged, Ino dismissed it, and Hinata looked at Tsunade warily, before nodding.

"Anyway, these two letters are for you Ino, and Naruto. Sakura was in a hurry as I said earlier, so she didn't have enough time to write too many." Tsunade said, handing them to Naruto and Ino. "If you can, send me your replies, if you have any, by the end of the day so I can get someone to send it back." Tsunade said, now having the task of finding a scroll with a time-traveling technique, now that the one she had given Sakura.

"Let's go to my house and read it, TenTen, Hinata?" Ino asked, giggling. They nodded, and went off before anyone could tell. They must have been really excited to see what was inside.

Even though Ino took her time to read it in the comfort of her own bed with her friends, Naruto ripped the envelope right up, almost ripping the letter along with it. He read, skimming its contents with such speed you'd think he was racing.

Finishing it up, he chuckled and grinned madly. "Same old Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed.

"What'd it say?" Shikamaru asked.

"Same old, same old. Stay safe, don't go on dangerous missions, eat your ramen." Naruto said, going on a long rant. "She doesn't need to tell me twice." He snorted. "Tsunade-baachan is making sure I hardly leave the village." He said, giving Tsunade a dirty look from the sidelines.

"You can go reply to her message somewhere else! Shoo!" Tsunade said, ushering everyone there out, besides Shizune.

Once everything was calm once again, she opened her letter and read it. Her eyes widened.

"More… Harunos'?" she gasped lightly.

"What?" Shizune asked, and Tsunade flinched, remembering she hadn't taken Shizune out of there.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Haruno Annihilation." Tsunade said, and Shizune nodded.

"Well, Sakura had been kept hidden because the elders and the Hokage had guessed the neighboring nations would want to confirm there were no more Harunos'. After a while, they had nothing to worry about. No one would look at a Genin's background for information like that." Tsunade started.

"Even if they did find out she was a Haruno, they wouldn't care. What could a pesky little Genin do? Exceptional at chakra control and genjutsus, yes, but of no real threat. She couldn't even protect herself. She was a useless little Genin in their eyes." Tsunade explained.

"It seems Sakura has found… more Harunos'. It sounds unbelievable, considering they haven't appeared in the past. No one has known of their existence here…" Tsunade trailed off.

"So? What if they barely choose to show themselves now?" Shizune said.

"If only you knew, Shizune." Tsunade said, massaging her temples. She could feel it in her bones; Shizune would find out.

"Then tell me." Shizune demanded.

"These walls have ears, Shizune. Wait until the end of the day, and then accompany to get some herbs. I'll clear everything up." Tsunade said.

Shizune nodded, hugging TonTon**(sp?)** close to her body.

* * *

The sun was setting, and there Ino was, hugging her puffy purple pillow close to her, letter in one hand, and a cup of her famous hot chocolate in the other.

To her left was TenTen with red blanket with kunais on it around her, her head and her cup of chocolate the only thing being visible.

To her right was Hinata, in her regular zip-up jacket, and some black shorts, with Ino's Akamaru life-sized stuffed animal on her. Ino really had some weird obsession with Akamaru… but then again, he was very adorable. Even Hinata liked the not so small pup. She would bring him treats every day. And let's just say, Akamaru had grown 10 pounds ever since… something Kiba was very displeased about.

"You ready, girls?" Ino asked, looking at TenTen, and then at Hinata, one finger at the corner of the letter, ready to open it.

They both nodded eagerly, and Ino opened, clearing her throat before beginning.

"Ino, I find myself in need of your famous hot chocolate now more than ever." Ino began, and immediately looked down at her hot chocolate, looking a bit guilty. Then, she continued once more.

"Being away from home has been killer for me and I wish for nothing more than your manicures and your soft purple pillow." Again, she looked down to her lap, the puffy pillow lying there. She felt sad now.

"It's okay Ino, just keep reading." TenTen ushered her on, and she nodded, clearing her throat once again before reading on.

"They were always very comforting in my time of need. This is why I write down this letter. Ino, what would you do if you had to pick between the lives of your most beloved friends, or the person you could very well see yourself spending the rest of your life with? It hurts deeply to know you can have one, but not the other. And now my heart is being divided in 2, one being what I know is right, and the other being what I want to be right. I know your love life is going great Ino, you and Kiba always seem so perfect, but right now, I couldn't feel worse. Its times like these I need a shoulder to lean on, but I know almost no one here, and I feel like I'm drowning." Ino finished.

They were quiet for a while, taking in the news.

"Wow…" TenTen said, breaking the silence.

"I know" Ino said, looking down. "She must be having it rough, poor Sakura." Ino said, standing up and getting some paper. "But, I guess hearing from us should make her a lot happier!" Ino said, trying to lighten up the mood.

They nodded, and a smile made its way to all their faces.

"Okay, let's start with… Dear, Sakura." Ino said slowly, writing it down.

"I hope you don't mind I let Hinata and TenTen read it, I couldn't resist. We were very excited to hear news from you." Ino said out loud, as if asking the girls if that was good. They nodded, and then she quickly wrote it down.

"Unfortunately, that wasn't what we wanted to hear." Ino said.

"The best advice we have for you is…" Hinata trailed off, trying to find the right words to fill in the blanks.

"To follow your heart." TenTen said. Ino nodded, and wrote it down.

"We know it sounds kind of corny, but I guess it's the only thing we can say for now." Ino said.

"You said you can honestly find yourself spending the rest of your days with him, and that's more than most of us here can say." TenTen said.

"But, I hope you know we must approve of this guy before you can officially marry him." Ino said, and they all giggled.

"Tell us about this guy." Hinata added.

"He must be gorgeous, I bet." TenTen said.

"Intelligent and strong too. I know you don't go for dumb-asses." Ino said.

"And does he feel the same way?" Hinata asked.

"We're all dying to know the details." TenTen giggled.

"Please just know, we're here for you, whenever you need us, no matter how far away you are." Hinata said, a gingerly smile gracing her features.

"Hoping to hear from you soon," Ino said.

"Your besties, Ino, TenTen, and Hinata." TenTen finished.

"Perfect!" Ino shouted cheerfully. "Now all we need to do is get it all down on paper." Ino sighed. She had stopped writing after the corny "follow your heart" phrase.

Ino must have rewritten it at least 7 times before she deemed it good enough. After that, she got her lavender-scented purple envelope and stuck it in there.

She then got another piece of paper, and started scribbling something down.

"What is that Ino?" TenTen asked.

"It's my secret hot chocolate recipe. I know I swore I wouldn't give it to anyone, but I guess this is a special occasion. Sakura needs us." Ino said, winking as she scribbled some more stuff down.

At the bottom, she signed it with 'P.S. I know it won't be as good as mine, but I hope my fabulous secret recipe will help make you feel at home again even the slightest bit.'

She put it in the envelope, and sighed, looking at the girls. "Anything else we want to put in it before sealing it off?" Ino asked, looking at the girls.

The girls got in some deep contemplation. "Hmm… maybe not in the envelope but…" TenTen trailed off, staring at Ino's purple pillow, a smile on her face.

Ino followed her gaze to the pillow. She shook her head. "Not this pillow. Too many memories." Ino protested. "But," she said, a wicked smile on her face. "I know where I can get one _exactly _like this. My secret shop of fabulous wonders." She said, winking.

They laughed as they scurried around, putting on some jackets before hurrying off to Ino's 'secret store'.

After buying the purple pillow, Ino made some adjustments to it by sewing the words 'Always With You' in fancy, pink cursive letters. Under that, Ino sowed her name in a lighter purple, Hinata in a light blue, and TenTen in red. They put it in a package, and put the letter on top of it. When they went to the Hokage's office, they found Tsunade had gone to pick some herbs with Shizune. They decided to give it to her tomorrow morning better.

After that, they decided to sleep over at Ino's, while they all chatted about Sakura and her 'mystery guy', as they tried to name his physical features, personality, and even his eye color, hair color, name, height, weight, and anything else they could think of.

_Too bad they had no idea_

* * *

Shizune dropped the herbs she had in her hand. _"You sent her to the __**past**__?!" _she said incredulously.

"Pipe down Shizune." Tsunade glared.

"Sorry it's just… hard to actually _believe._" Shizune sighed.

"I know… but coming across these files… I knew something had to be done… I knew something _could _be done. I couldn't pass up the chance." Tsunade explained.

"What files? And why did it have to be Sakura?"

"Files about the Uchiha Massacre… files about Sakura's _clan._" Tsunade began. "Once I found out Itachi Uchiha was innocent I-"

"He's **what?!**"

Tsunade sighed… this would take a long time explaining.

------

"All caught up know?" Tsunade said.

"I think so" Shizune nodded slowly.

"Anyway, as I was saying earlier, once I found out Itachi was innocent, I realized Itachi would be much more useful to us if he were _here. _Since I knew he truly had to harsh feelings against Konoha, I understood we could stop him from joining Akatsuki…" Tsunade began.

"Okay, that explains why we had to send someone to the past… but why Sakura?" Shizune asked.

"I don't know if I'm authorized to explain it to you… this information is much more secret than anything you could ever imagine." Tsunade sighed, picking up the basket full of herbs.

Shizune frowned. "Tsunade-hime, you know you can trust me."

"I know I can… but if information ever leaks out…" Tsunade trailed off hesitantly, looking at the sky sourly.

"I won't tell a soul." Shizune said with such determination, it caused Tsunade to look at her seriously.

It took several minutes of nerve-wrecking silence, in which Tsunade looked at Shizune with contemplative eyes, and Shizune stared at Tsunade with brave eyes, for Tsunade to finally speak up.

"Very well" she gave up, "it all starts with the beginning of time." Tsunade began.

* * *

"Hiroto" Marika whined, a big frown on her face. "Come on, it's my turn already." She sighed.

"You can't leave just yet." Hiroto shook his head.

Marika's forehead creased. "Just because you don't like taking care of kids doesn't mean I have to be stuck babysitting them all the time." She growled. "You know fairly well it's my turn to visit my baby sister." She frowned.

"Come on Marika!" he drawled on, "Just a few more days… _please_?" he pleaded. It wasn't that he absolutely hated training the kids and being stuck here… it was just that he never really had a thing for kids to begin with. And let's not forget to mention that dealing with such troubled kids was very exhausting work.

"Fine, I'll stay for 2 days… but you have to let me visit Sakura after that." she frowned.

"Fine, Fine… but I have to-"

"You are _not _leaving me here alone to watch them again while you go around and roam." She glared wickedly at him.

"Ahh, come on Marika." He whined.

Though a normal person wouldn't make such a big deal about leaving their home, they sure did. They always had to make sure to not leave any tracks, so leaving was almost like an honor, considering they couldn't leave their home like normal teenagers. They were more like parents… and Hiroto wasn't doing a very good job as his role as the father, either.

"No" she rejected. "If I'm going to take over your shift, you're _definitely _staying in here as well. You don't just get to leave whenever you want to." She protested, puffing her cheeks, crossing her arms across her chest, and looking to the side in protest.

Hiroto sighed. "Why do _I _have to look after them." he pouted childishly.

"I ask myself that question every day; get over it." Marika stated, dragging him inside the cabin by the collar.

Hiroto just sighed, staring at the sky and looking at a shiny star. _'Oh Kami get me out of here'_

* * *

"Nee, Kisame, where do you see yourself years from now… say, I don't know… 6 years from now, maybe?" she reasoned off.

"I don't know… certainly not in any village, that's for sure." He chuckled.

"Do you find yourself still a missing-nin?"

"Yes" he replied bluntly.

"What about trying to destroy the world?" Sakura's question ad caught him off guard, and he had to stop staring at the stars to stare at her curiously.

"What's with the sudden question?" he raised an eyebrow.

Sakura shrugged, staring at a bright star. "You never know how evil a missing-nin could turn… I was always curious though, studying about the very infamous missing-nin… at the time, did they know they would turn out to be some of the most despicable men in the planet?" she questioned.

Kisame "ahh"ed for a few seconds, returning his gaze to the stars and moon. "I always had a dream to become the Mizukage." He explained.

Sakura tried to hide her chuckle. _'You and Naruto aren't so much that different.' _She thought.

"What about you, loyal kunoichi of the leaf? Where do you see yourself in 6, 10 years?" he asked.

Sakura laughed: she already knew the answer to this question. "ANBU Captain, apprentice to the Hokage… Head Medic-nin in the hospital…" she trailed off.

Kisame snorted. "I'm sure you're able to accomplish all of that now… but what is it you truly wish for? What you want to accomplish, and be, maybe?" he asked.

"A mom" the words escaped her lips before she even knew what she was saying, and after she finally acknowledged what she said, she blushed a light shade of pink, Kisame's weird gaze still on her.

"You see, now those are some pretty big goals." He said. "You're only 12, 13 and you're already planning to be a mom…" he whistled in an astonishing manner.

"Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?"

"Sure she can, I'm not stopping you… but who's the father?"

His words lingered in her mind, and only one person came to her mind, much to her displeasure. Her cheeks stung a bright red.

"Ahh, so someone does come to mind." Kisame snickered.

"Shut up" she retorted. "He's only a crush… it'll pass…" she spoke, her words slow, with almost no emotion in them.

'_I hope…' _the words echoed in her mind.

To shut Kisame up, she quickly opened her mouth up once again. "What about you? You never thought of having a wife and kids?" Sakura asked.

Kisame laughed hoarsely. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big _shark._" He stated matter-of-factly. "And again, I don't exactly have many people."

"You never know… you could meet a nice woman in your life time." Sakura chirped in a sing-song voice.

"The day that happens will be the day you betray your village, loyal kunoichi."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" Sakura glared.

"_It's supposed to mean_" he began, pausing shortly, "that you're loyal to the last. A trustworthy person… someone you could always count on to make the right choice." He said.

Sakura stayed quiet. Was she really that trustworthy? Could you really count on her? The days were growing close, and it was only a matter of time before the Uchiha Massacre… could she really be trusted to kill Itachi, even when her body and soul refused the very idea of harming Itachi?

What _was _the right choice? Though every part of her told her it was best Itachi stayed alive, was it really possible? After all, Itachi had it stuck in his head that he was doing the right thing, and Itachi was a very stubborn man, as Sakura had found out.

"I'm not that trustworthy" Sakura replied monotonously after a long silence, where only the loud sound of crickets could be heard.

Kisame looked to his left, seeing Sakura's eyes going cold… had he brought up some unwanted emotions?

* * *

"So… let me get this straight… since Sakura was the only one from her clan, she was the only one who could access the Goddess inside of it, awakening her from her deep sleep. And after that, Sakura was the only unselfish person you trusted the most who could possibly succeed in this mission?" Shizune tried to sum up.

Tsunade nodded. "And let's not forget that only Sakura's kindness and bravery would be able to succeed such a mission." Tsunade added.

Shizune leaned back on the chair, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "I can't believe you sent our poor little Sakura on a mission that could be deemed _impossible _in the eyes of others.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I can't believe it either." She glared. "To think Sakura's dealing with the deadliest man on earth at this moment in time… or… whatever." Tsunade dismissed, sipping some sake.

Now sitting in Shizune's apartment, they both began to wonder what exactly Sakura was doing at his specific moment in time. Staring at the dark-lit starry sky, they could only hope she was safe and sound, and still alive. After all, you could never be so sure. Her mission was to watch over Itachi Uchiha, and if Itachi ever found out, he might even consider killing Sakura. They didn't know. After all, no one had exactly been that close with Itachi before. Even his best friend wasn't close enough to him for him to stay alive.

* * *

After Itachi ate his dinner is complete silence with his family, he excused himself. Nothing was the same without Sakura here. Though he really wanted to deny it, he couldn't: he missed Sakura.

It really shocked him, -and somewhat scared him- to think he was becoming dependent of Sakura, and her warm, sunny smile which always seemed to brighten up his day.

Having her enter his life suddenly made him realize how sorrowful and just _wrong _his life had been before she entered into the picture. He had had a cruel childhood, and even though he should still be dipping his feet in the innocence that other 13-year-olds had, he wasn't. But somehow being with Sakura made him feel like it was okay to be normal every now and then, and to actually feel good about himself.

It made him feel that following orders and killing people weren't always the way.

Sakura had taught him how to live, and it just made him wonder how she had affected him so much, in such a short period of time.

Though he didn't know why, Sakura brought out a side of him he had long gone forgotten about. The part of him that still believed that life was beautiful and fair, and there were many surprises and adventures around every corner.

No… now he knew the world for what it truly was…

Itachi entered his room, and went to his window, jumping on the roof. He laid there, hands behind his head and legs propped up, staring at the stars.

Something about this calm atmosphere made him feel at piece, if only for a little while. He felt all the stress from the clan just get blown away with the wind. It was amazing how the starlit sky could make him feel at peace.

* * *

Everyone everywhere was up early in the morning.

Hiroto and Marika were training the little ones once again.

Itachi was in the Hokage's office, getting a mission briefing with Kakashi, and Sakura's substitute, Hana.

Naruto, Ino, Hinata, and TenTen were dropping off Sakura's gifts and letters, while Tsunade and Shizune were still discussing about Sakura, Itachi, and her clan.

And, Sakura and Kisame were still on the run, bright and early in the morning… or more specifically, _5:00 A.M._

_---------------_

Kisame groaned. "Shouldn't little kids be _sleeping in_?"

"I prefer to get this mission done with as quick as possible." Sakura responded, staring at Kisame with her porcelain mask on.

"Why do you still choose to have the mask on kid?" Kisame asked.

"I wouldn't want anyone reporting I'm having a rendezvous with a wanted Missing-nin, probably ranking A or S." Sakura stated bluntly.

Kisame chuckled. "Makes sense, I guess." Kisame tried to start up another conversation. "So… that man, or should I say _boy _you want to have kids with… who is he?

Sakura's step faltered and she almost missed the tree trunk. She flipped, landing on a lower branch, and pushed herself up once again. She glared through her mask.

Kisame laughed at the bluntness she showed. That _so_ caught her off guard.

"Why the hell do you care?" she retorted, her glare still in place.

Kisame shrugged. "What type of _true friend_ would I be if I didn't know?" Kisame laughed.

"I thought you didn't want to be one." Sakura replied.

"I never said I didn't want to be your friend… just… caught me off guard, is all." Kisame reasoned.

"Really?" she inquired, not buying it.

"Look at me Sakura, I'm blue, and look like a giant shark. And as you said, I am an A-ranked Missing-nin… who exactly _wants _to be my friend?

"Ever heard the saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover' huh?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I won't make the mistake of doing that again." She replied, glancing at him.

"Oh, and how many times has Miss Nice done that mistake?" he asked jokingly.

"Too many time" she muttered.

"Specifically?"

"Around eight or nine" she replied.

"That's not that much." Kisame replied.

"Well then, you obviously haven't met the people… if you knew them, you would understand." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"They must have been seriously important." Kisame whistled.

"Or seriously twisted with a dark, harsh past." Sakura added.

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Like yours?" he half joked.

"Yes, like mine," it came out all but a whisper…

"Still sticking to the 'I am Sakura Haruno' story?" he asked.

"It's not a story, it's a fact. It's like stating you weren't Kisame Hoshigaki and you didn't try to assassinate the Mizukage… oh, and you're not blue." The last part came out like a half-joke.

"We're getting off topic now." Kisame dismissed. "Who's the lucky little munchkin?"

"He's not a munchkin." She glared. "I bet he could kick your ass." She snickered.

"Oh, so it's Itachi Uchiha?" he asked, and Sakura tripped once again. Kisame laughed, pausing shortly to wait for her.

She got up on her feet once again, catching up to him. "How'd you know it was him?" Sakura asked.

"There can't be that many 13-year-old kids who can beat a full-grown man, who happens to be an A or S-ranked criminal." Kisame said.

"Okay," Sakura contemplated, frowning, "you have a point there, I guess…"

"So… Itachi Uchiha? What exactly do you like about him?" Kisame asked.

Sakura looked at him oddly. "I don't know… it's hard to explain." Sakura shrugged.

"What could be so hard about it?" Kisame asked.

"Well excuse me, but I don't suppose you've ever fallen in love." Sakura glared.

"I thought it was a simple crush." Kisame mimicked how she had said it the night before.

"I hoped it was." She frowned.

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"Nothing good can come out of loving an Uchiha," Sakura frowned

'_Let alone one who will kill his clan in about 2 months.' _Her frown deepened.

"And you know this why?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.

Sakura sighed. "Let's just say, he isn't the first Uchiha I've fallen for… and it didn't end well." Sakura frowned.

"Well that's to be expected. You're only 13 years old." Kisame replied.

Sakura looked at him oddly, and laughed. Though he was right, she _had_ fallen for Sasuke when she was only 12, 13, years old, she was currently 18… you'd think she was more experienced when it came to love…

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing" she replied, smiling.

_Oh if only he knew._

**End of Chapter**

**Sorry it took me so long to update people! Computer was acting up (unfortunately) and I barely got my bro to fix it now. Sorry of you see too many mistakes… never got to fully check it to see if it was good.**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated people! I've already gotten started on the next chapter, so bare with me!**

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**


	22. Taiyou

**Hi! Gotz the next chapter up! Hope you all enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

"Good morning Tsunade-sama." Ino bowed as she entered with TenTen and Hinata.

"Morning Ino, Hinata, TenTen. I suppose this means you have the letter ready to be sent to her?" Tsunade questioned, staring at the box and letters in Ino's hands.

"Yeah. Hope you don't mind we're sending her a little extra too." TenTen grinned.

Tsunade shook her head. "Fine by me. I do suppose Sakura will be extremely eager to see whatever you guys got her." Tsunade said as Ino placed the package and letter on her desk.

"Yeah… she said she really missed us, so we thought maybe she could use a little cheering up." Ino grinned.

"Okay, you may all go now. TenTen, you have a mission with the rest of your team today. Report back in 2 hours with them for the mission description." Tsunade noted as she looked down at her desk and started assorting some random papers.

"Hai Tsunade-sama." TenTen bowed before the girls exited through the door. "I can't believe I have a mission." TenTen frowned.

Ino shrugged. "It's to be expected."

"And it most likely involves Akatsuki hideouts too." TenTen sighed.

Hinata tried to smile to cheer her friends up. "It'll probably not be too bad…" she reassured, though she wasn't that positive herself… knowing Tsunade though, it probably wouldn't be _that hard _of a mission…

* * *

"We're approaching Mist." Kisame noted.

"That fast?" Sakura frowned slightly. She was hoping she'd be able to indulge in Kisame's company for a little while longer…

"Well, it wouldn't be that fast if you weren't going a thousand miles per hour." He over-exaggerated with a teasing grin and a roll of his eyes.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get this mission over with." She glared back.

"Must be a troublesome mission." Kisame avoided asking about the mission's contents, because she was obviously not dumb enough to spill.

And truthfully, she wouldn't spill because for the most part, she didn't exactly know what she was supposed to do…

"It is." Sakura admitted. There were many things that frustrated her… and going on a mission without being aware of the true dangers and contents was one of them… it had become a pet-peeve of hers ever since she had agreed to go to the past, which unfortunately, was much more than she had bargained for…

Seriously, look at her now. Becoming friends with two people who would eventually, in her time-line, become two of the most dangerous and fearsome criminals known across the Shinobi lands.

Sometimes, she truly wondered how she got in this mess.

'**You were born as the rightful heir of the Haruno Clan, that's how.' **Her most unhelpful inner reminded her. But hey, she had to hand it to inner, she was undoubtedly right about that one.

First off, if she wasn't born a Haruno, she'd never be able to time-travel anyway. And second, now that she found out she was the _heir_, there were many more complications to her mission…

…many of which, she still didn't know of…

-----

"I guess this means good-bye." Sakura gave Kisame a crooked smile.

"More like a… see ya around." Kisame grinned. "It's a small world… we never know." Kisame turned around and gave her a dismissing wave as he started walking away.

Sakura frowned. So much for a friendly gesture… but whatever, she had more important things to do than ponder about Kisame's aggravating manners.

'_So… any clue what exactly I'm supposed to do from here on?' _Sakura thought as she started heading the opposite direction Kisame had gone off too.

She was know dressed in formal clothing, for Matsuro had advised her that wearing a Konoha ANBU uniform in Mist was bound to attract attention. Better go with the sweet and innocent 12-year-old act.

'_**Search for a place to stay. I must focus and locate where he is now.' **_Was Matsuro's only reply.

Sakura made a brisk turn as she spotted a nearby, decent looking hotel. That would probably be her headquarters for the next few days…

Once inside the lobby, Sakura quickly paid for 3 days, and made her way to her small room, where she dumped her bags and laid on the bed, eager to feel its softness. Sleeping on the ground for several days had reminded to never underestimate the gift of a soft bed to go to every night.

She didn't even notice when she drifted off to sleep. Heaven knows why she had strained herself so much to get here speedily. It was probably to impress Kisame, maybe give him a hint that she had not been lying about being a Haruno. That was probably why she was so exhausted.

The moment her head hit the pillow she was out like a light…

'_**Kikyou…' **_Matsuro began.

'**You don't need to tell me twice, Matsuro-sama.' **Kikyou closed her eyes and concentrated, and she soon slipped out of Sakura's body.

'_**Find his current location, and pinpoint it exactly. Count the ninjas, and contemplate the chances of getting out alive, in one piece.' **_Matsuro replied.

Kikyou smirked as she nodded, and left. The chances of getting out alive? In any normal case, she would laugh her ass off. There was nothing Sakura couldn't overcome. After all, she was Sakura Haruno, the true heir of the Haruno Clan, reincarnation of the strongest Haruno herself.

Still, sometimes it was hard to meet expectations. Kikyou knew that from experience, after all. That was why she had taken her life; she couldn't be expected to have the resolution for every single problem that was thrown her way.

Now, it was Sakura's time to shine. And Kikyou would be _damned _if she let anything or anyone get in Sakura's way. Kikyou didn't care, she'd let hell freeze over before anyone harmed Sakura.

Kikyou had roamed around Mist for about 2 hours before she found something suspicious. Ominous chakra. Any normal ninja wouldn't have been able to sense it, but she was 40 times more advanced than a mere ninja. Plus, the fact that she saw the fat ass man enter the building helped too… but… whatever.

Slipping inside the building, literally going through the wall, she looked around. There must have been about 20 skilled ninja in the small, overly-populated room, all surrounding a small artifact in the middle.

"That's good, it got here in one piece." The man who Kikyou had decided to call 'ugly fat ass man,' spoke, a small cackle escaping his mouth. "We'll get good money off of this."

'_He plans to sell it?' _Kikyou frowned. _'Does Ugly Fat-ass Man even know __**who's **__in there?'_

"I'm sure I could get a high price for the Sun God, after all. Get more ninja in here and secure the area."

'_Okay… he's a dumb-ass.'_ Seriously, who would trade a very powerful, lethal weapon for a few thousand bucks?

Kikyou dismissed this, and focused back on the true objective. She measured the room, counted the ninja, observed their posture and contemplated their ranking, checked the surroundings, found the street, and did basically everything else anyone could possibly think of. She even remembered the weapons everyone was carrying, and listed whether they were males or females.

Kikyou even went as far as making a plan, which would have been full-proof too… had those two mysterious men not showed up… the ones she had previously talked about with Sakura… the ones always in the shadows.

**(refer to ch 19, I believe :o)**

Kikyou would stare at the two for several minutes, then she'd switch angles, and do the same. Nothing. Still in the shadows, and still, she couldn't see their faces. She could get a description though.

Tall, though not as tall as Kisame. Maybe around 6'5. They were bulky, though again, not nearly as bulky as Kisame. They didn't seem to be carrying and weapons of some sort, and they even wore civilians clothing, with the exception of it looking much fancier, with the colors of a dark blue, and silver. Kikyou could only see their hands; pale… very, very pale. Their hair, if she squinted, could pass for a gray-ish color.

And what she found odd –and nerve wrecking- was that everyone in the room seemed to be avoiding them… was that a coincidence?

Kikyou didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it at all… she decided it was best she go back and report to Matsuro and Sakura, and tell them everything she knew… and to include a very good warning of these two creepos…

Kikyou slipped out of there unnoticed, obviously, and continued to go back to the small inn Sakura was at. She entered, going back inside Sakura's body, and finding Matsuro there waiting for her.

'**Matsuro-sama,' **Kikyou began as she entered the room, **'I have the whereabouts.' **She confirmed.

'_**How many times must I say it? Matsuro is good enough.' **_Matsuro replied.

'**Force of habit.' **She merely replied, trying to hold back her grin.

'_**Well then… maybe we should wake Sakura up.'**_

'**I think we should let her rest for a while longer… she'll need to be fully prepared and fell rested if she plans to get through this.' **Kikyou said seriously.

Matsuro nodded. She understood if Kikyou said it was difficult, it must seriously be difficult.

And so, they waited for Sakura to finally wake from her long nap.

* * *

"No!" Marika shouted, swiftly hitting Hiroto on the head with as much force as she could muster. "You swore I'd be able to go, so what the _hell _is this talk about having to stay?" Marika glared.

"But Marik-"

"No. You. **Swore**." Marika gave him the most threatening voice she could muster whilst glaring the most wicked and devious glare she had been taught. Marika was seriously someone you did not want to mess with when angry… and unfortunately, Hiroto was learning that now…

"…Fine… but can you at least cut me down?" he frowned.

Yes… he was currently tied upside down on a tree… courtesy of Marika.

Why? He had tried to sneak off and leave while Marika had to take care of **his **shift.

"Hmmm, no I don't think so." Marika grinned as she spun a kunai around her finger playfully.

"Whyyyy?" he whined, frowning.

"Because," she began, turning around, "If I cut you down, you'll probably make a run for it and I'll be stuck here… _**again**_"

"Pshht, why would I do that?" he let out a fake laugh. _'Damn, she caught on already.' _He cursed mentally.

"Well, I'm going to go inside and pack. Don't worry, I'll make sure Himawari cuts you down when I'm two hours away." she chuckled and she gave him a dismissing wave, tucked the kunai in her holster, and walked off.

"**MARIKA!!!"**

* * *

Either Itachi was becoming seriously paranoid, or something was wrong. This was the fifth black cat he had seen in one hour, and not to mention everywhere he was going, salt was being spilled…

This was clearly a bad sign. He never had any bad omens before, but lately… he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

For the most part, he thought maybe he was just imagining things. It was the third day without Sakura, but barely now things were beginning to seem odd… Yes, he had temporarily become even more unsociable, but today just seemed strange to him… something was seriously off…

So, after dropping Sasuke off at school, he briskly went to the Hokage's office, to 'ask' where Sakura had gone. It was more of a demand, if anything.

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "You know better than most you can't just give out top secret information like that, Itachi. There must be something seriously bothering you." He spoke.

"Ah" he merely said. "Something has been unsettling me since this morning."

"And you're sure it's not that you just got accustomed to Sakura?" he asked.

Itachi nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you." The Hokage frowned.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. Was it can't, or _won't _help him?

"It is a… self-assigned mission, you could say." He replied to Itachi's unasked question. "I don't know the contents of the mission, just the location."

"Which is?" he asked.

The Hokage shook his head. "I am not in the liberty to discuss this with you. This is private matters between Sakura and I, I apologize Itachi." And for the most part, it was true. He didn't think Sakura would appreciate it if he blabbed about her self-assigned mission having to do with her clan to Itachi. If she hadn't told him herself, like she had specifically told him _she had,_ then it was not meant for his ears.

The other reason, and most important one, was because he felt Itachi might just be bold enough to travel all the way to Mist in search of Sakura, and he might even go as far as forcing her to come back before she was actually done with her mission. He had a feeling it was an important one, considering she left so soon, and she hadn't even been willing to share its contents with _him _of all people.

"I understand Hokage-sama." Itachi bowed in respect.

Well this was completely _pointless_. If the Hokage couldn't give him anything, he doubted anyone else would be able to either. He turned around, ready to leave.

"If it makes you feel any better," he sighed, and Itachi held back a smirk as he turned back around, ready to listen to the Hokage. "Sakura told me she'd be back in a week tops. If it so happens she's not back in the time period, which I highly doubt, I'll make sure you're personally assigned to go search for her."

"Arigatou, Hokage-sama." Itachi bowed once more before leaving.

Well, this at least gave him a _tiny _more reassurance… So… five more days before he could take action… if you exclude this day, four…

* * *

It was around late afternoon when Sakura finally awoke from her name. Inner wasted no time explaining everything to Sakura. She even had her draw complex blue prints and designs to show how everything had been situated. Sakura had walked around the streets several times, memorizing it all inch by inch, and she had passed the old, run-down building where the god was being held hundreds of times before she felt she'd be able to sneak in there blind folded.

Around 9:00, when everything was pitch black, Sakura put on her ANBU uniform and staked out for several hours, to see if there were any abnormal movements, or people going in or out. Once she got the sense everyone was to remain there, besides a few times when people left, and came back with food, she decided to call it a night… at 7:00 in the morning.

And after reaching her inn, she went directly to bed once again, sleeping the whole day away until it was afternoon again. Once awake, Sakura began to ready herself.

'**Shuriken and Kunai?'**

'_Check'_

'**Map?'**

'_Check'_

'**Poison infused senbon?'**

'_Check'_

And so the checklist went on as she prepared everything. She would strike in two hours, and she had to make sure everything went according to plan, or she would probably kiss the god goodbye, along with her life…

'**I think you got everything… Just one more word of advice…'**

'_I know, I know, the mysterious creepy guys who are always in the shadows… watch out for them… you already warned me about 7 times.' _Sakura held back the urge to roll her eyes.

'**Yeah, it's just that there's something about those creepy twins…' **Kikyou frowned.

'_**Just be extra careful out there Sakura. We wouldn't want you getting hurt, is all.'**_Matsuro butted in.

Sakura sighed. "I got it already." She accidentally spoke out loud. Oh well, there was no one around to think her crazy. It was just a little too overwhelming when you have several voices speaking inside your head. Sometimes you forget they're all inside your head, and not in front of you.

'**Your hair is getting long. You should cut it.' **Inner changed the subject.

Sakura paused shortly. Damn, Inner was right! It was growing much too fast for her liking. Plus, there was a chance it would get in her way while on this mission… it was particularly extra dangerous than any she had previously been on any time soon.

'_Ugghh, you're so right.' _Sakura grabbed a kunai from her kunai pouch and made her way to the bathroom. She stared at herself for several minutes… she looked exactly like the girl from her Genin days… the weak girl… the one who always needed help and back-up…

She looked in the mirror, but she didn't see herself… she saw a girl she hated with a great passion… the girl who could have probably saved her teammates countless of times, but couldn't… just because she was so weak.

Sakura blinked, and quickly cut her hair.

She opened her eyes back up, this time more confidently. No more… no more would she be the weak Sakura who stayed in the background and watched… This time, she would be taking matters into her own hand.

This was the new Sakura Haruno.

Sakura spent about five minutes to fix her hair so it looked better cut, and then she started putting on her ANBU uniform, tying her short hair in a pony tail. Her pink hair would surely attract attention so it was better left small and unseen for now…

Once ready, she took the exit through her window, immediately going towards her destination using the roof tops. Sakura used an almost untraceable teleportation jutsu, appearing on the very top and most isolated corner there was, directing chakra into her feet so she was balanced on the roof.

The first thing Sakura did was cast a powerful genjutsu on all of them. That would be the easiest way for her to get it, get the god, and get the hell out, before there was any time for something to possibly go wrong.

Almost at the same exact time, all the shinobi passed out on the floor unconscious. Sakura quickly jumped off the ceiling, walking over the unconscious bodies of the shinobi. Seriously, could this have been any easier? And here inner was, telling her it was dangerous… she could snort at that…

Just as soon as Sakura was about to grab the Sun God though, several shuriken were thrown at her, and she had to jump back, grabbing the Sun God protectively, in an effort to save not only herself, but the God as well.

Well what do you know, some of those shinobi were faking it. Maybe it would turn out at least a _little_ bit interesting.

"You must be the one that was sent to retrieve this." Ugly Fat-ass man appeared out of nowhere.

Sakura didn't truly understand what he meant, but she decided not to speak. She didn't want to give out any information, in case he didn't know.

Sakura was now surrounded, at least 7 shinobi waiting to strike at the right time. Sakura discreetly activated her Petal Eye, now contemplating on what her chances of getting alive were. Still, she thought she had been in much more complicated situations than these before. Like maybe in the Forest of Death all those years ago…

Yeah, that was definitely much worse than now… to this day, Orochimaru's mere name sent shivers up her spine.

"If this is all Orochimaru sent, than you must be more powerful than the average shinobi, ANBU-san." The man sneered.

Sakura's blood went slightly cold.

'**This must be why I found him in Sound earlier. He stole this from **_**Orochimaru.'**_ Inner voiced her thoughts.

Before Sakura had any thoughts to register her thoughts, she saw movement. Now was definitely not the time to think about Orochimaru.

Sakura quickly ducked, missing a blow to her head, and then elbowed a guy in the gut from behind, who had tried to come up behind her. Sakura quickly pumped chakra into her fists, deciding maybe using a chakra scalpel would be the best choice for this particular scenario. It was an easy way to immobilize her opponents after all, and she couldn't really go around blowing this place up with her strength. Besides, that would kind of give away her cover… Not many people have inhuman strength, so they would easily be able to track her down, even though not many people in this timeline knew what she was capable of.

After almost immobilizing all of the ninja, Sakura had broken out into a sweat. Inner had been right, she shouldn't have been so cocky… she had a feeling she had fallen into their trap, some way or another.

"Hiro… Kei…" Fat-ass Ugly guy started, smirking with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

The two creepy tall guys inner had warned her about appeared from the shadows out of nowhere.

'_What the… I never even sensed their chakra.' _Sakura hesitated, getting in a fighting pose quickly.

"Impressive aren't they… my wonderful two minions?" He smirked. "Found them when they were just children, abandoned because of a savage war. And then I found their… talent, you could say."

Sakura hesitated. Should she really continue and listen to his story, or should she just get the hell out of there while she could? Her blood ran cold, and it felt as if she were frozen in place… she guessed she'd stick around then, after all.

"Just look at them, raw power…" he drawled on, talking about Kei and Hiro as if they were some prize he had won in a carnival or something. After the man had finished his sentence, Kei and Hiro had stepped out of the shadows.

Sakura dared look. They were tall, and exactly how inner had described them… but… _their eyes_.

They had no pupils, much like the Hyuugas, but their eyes looked lost… _dead._

They have the special ability to peer into your soul, manipulate you, make you go crazy." He smirked.

Sakura know knew she _really _had to get out of there. She made a small foot quiver, but her body was fighting against her. _'What the-'_

"Stare at them long enough and their eyes could kill you… Be in the same room as them while they concentrate their power on you, well, you're basically as powerful as a Genin… you should notice you know have no control over your body."

'_Crap…'_

And for the most part, it was true. She could no longer feel her body, her senses now numb. Sakura tried to move her hand upwards, trying to get some sort of reaction from herself, but instead, in went forward, and dropped her kunai to the floor.

Her fighting stance slackened, and got weaker, until eventually, she found herself on the floor, panting heavily.

"You're tough, to have survived this long… you should be completely under their control by now."

The only reason the jutsu was faltering was because Sakura had **2 **souls in her, along with a God… but nevertheless, she could feel herself slipping into the emptiness and darkness. Inner and Matsuro were squirming inside of her, fighting back as hard as they could… Kikyou didn't even have the strength to say 'I told you so'…

All of a sudden, the door burst open, which made Kei and Hiro's ability falter for even the slightest of seconds. Sakura took this to her advantage, and quickly deactivated her Petal Eye, and made a clone. She had to get the Sun God out of there, no matter what.

The clone appeared and Sakura quickly tossed the item to it. It disappeared almost immediately, and before Sakura knew it, she was being attacked again. She backed up against the wall as kunai were thrown at her, and she looked up at her attacker.

The last thing she saw before she lost control again were the cold, dead eyes of the twins…

Uggh, why did this have to happen to _her _of all people?

Sakura slowly sank to the floor, her knees buckling under her… she must have been under their power for too long, and now she was starting to feel the side effects.

As her eyes started closing, she saw a flash of gray and the twins were knocked to the ground… but it was too late already…

"Well… what do we have here?"

* * *

When Sakura's senses picked up once again, Sakura was as alert as ever.

'_Where the hell am I?' _

'**Don't make any sudden movements.' **Inner hissed immediately, almost as if someone would be able to hear her.

Sakura immediately relaxed her breathing, letting her chakra escape her body smoothly, as if she were still unconscious. She listened intently; where was she?

She couldn't really _hear _anything, besides the small dripping of water… maybe somewhere underground?

Sakura used her sense of smell, trying to use that to her advantage. It smelled like dirt… and a nasty odor too… definitely underground.

"Nice try, but the breathing pattern and heart rate are never the same as when you are still unconscious. Of course, you should know that, shouldn't you?"

Sakura prevented from flinching. Still, she kept her eyes closed. Maybe she wouldn't like what she saw.

"You know, one wouldn't quite think of you as an ANBU… _Miss Haruno."_

Sakura's eyes snapped open, all the while herself and her inner were muttering million of cursewords inside her head.

"That's much better. I'm sure your green eyes and pink hair are more than enough proof."

Sakura's eyes had to adjust to the darkness and it took her several seconds for her to actually recognize the figure in front of her.

'_K-Kabuto?!' _

'**Mini version of Kabuto… even as a young teen he was with Orochimaru.'**

Sakura frowned. Most likely when they found him in the middle of that battlefield it was planned by him and Orochimaru, so he could play as an agent for him.

"What do you know? You probably know all you know because Orochimaru told you." Sakura spoke groggily, trying to regain full consciousness.

"That may be, but I'm sure Orochimaru-sama will trust me more and more with every passing day."

'_Yeah, until he's almost dead and takes over your body.' _Sakura held back the need to roll her eyes.

"It took a while to make sure you'd be alright. After all, you were under their control for a while. You could've died, had Orochimaru-sama not gotten there on time." Kabuto moved, and sparked a small torch in the corner of the room, moving on to the next one.

"Still," he paused, staring at her for a few seconds, "he had gone to get back his most precious possession, and ended up coming out with a Haruno. Who would've known?" Kabuto smirked.

"That's enough Kabuto" the mere sound of the voice made Sakura shiver. Still, she felt a need to not seem as weak as she used to be in front of him.

"Orochimaru" she glared at the entrance of the cell.

"My, such a rude welcoming." He cooed.

"Well, what do you call this, a tea room with milk and cookies?" she rolled her eyes as she tried to fling her arms; they were cuffed to the wall behind her.

Orochimaru merely smirked that evil, slimy looking smile.

"What do you want with me?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

Orochimaru stepped up to her, and rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Oh, but my dear, what do I _not _want with you? For starters, how about the Sun God?"

Sakura snorted. "Like I'll ever tell you."

"Well then, how about we move on to the next question? How is it you're still alive?" Orochimaru smirked.

"Fate was on my side." Sakura glared.

"Are you speaking in riddles, or might it be Fate, the God?" Orochimaru inquired.

"Fate has been missing for half a millennium." Sakura retorted. "Fate is with all us Haruno, watching over us." Sakura simply stated.

"Where was your precious Fate when all your people were being murdered, I wonder."

"Well, she was kind enough to let me live, now wasn't she?" Sakura glared. She didn't like the fact that Orochimaru was talking about her clan, and her _god_, like they were trash.

"Yes, and more as well."

Sakura was weary… maybe this was what Hiroto had been talking about. He hadn't been worried about bandits… he had been worried about _Orochimaru_.

**(A/N: Refer to ch 19 ;)**

Sakura didn't reply, but instead, shoved his hand away with force. He withdrew.

"Feisty" he smirked. "Now, I heard rumors that the Haruno Heir was alive. Might you know who she is?"

"I am aware of who." Sakura confirmed.

"Who is she?" Orochimaru asked.

"Her identity will remain unknown to the likes of you." Sakura sneered.

"Or maybe," Orochimaru paused, "might it be that _you're _the heir?" Orochimaru smirked.

"If you had your information straight, you'd know she's a toddler."

"Or maybe that was just the story given to us." Orochimaru said. "You're ANBU at age twelve… who's to say you're not the one?"

"Aren't all Haruno's powerful?"

"Yes, but most don't reach ANBU until they're at least 17."

"And who's to say I'm not an early bird?"

Orochimaru leaned against the wall. "You sure have a way of making me doubt myself, little one."

"I'm not an ANBU for nothing."

"And that makes you all the more interesting. Tell me, are you in touch with your Haruno powers?" Orochimaru asked.

"No"

"You lie." Orochimaru stated.

"How so?" Sakura quirked an eyebrow.

"Haruno's are only as advanced as they are because of their clan abilities."

"Well, I happen to have undergone some rather harsh training with a certain person." Sakura said.

"Kabuto," he paused, attack her."

Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out when she heard Orochimaru's statement. And she was even more terrified when she saw Kabuto comply. He immediately threw several kunai at her, but not speedily. Right before they were about to hit her, a ground beneath her erupted and a tree sprouted out of the ground. The branches quickly grew wild and grabbed the kunai and threw them back at Kabuto, who dodged them with a small amount of difficulty.

Damn…

"Ahh, yes…" Orochimaru said. "What a magnificent trick you have. Tell me, does that activate on will?"

"I'd rather die than tell you anything." Sakura spat venom.

Orochimaru looked back at Kabuto, as if telling him to attack again. This time he used his chakra scalpel and aimed right for her heart. Again, the tree began to act wild. It attacked Kabuto and enveloped his arm, and then a sickening crunch was heard seconds after.

Kabuto broke through the tree's defenses shortly after and jumped backwards. He didn't even bat an eyelash…

"I guess that answers that." Orochimaru smirked.

'_Tree-san, attack them…'_

The tree went bizarre and went after Orochimaru first. He dodged and slithered away like a snake, extending his neck and reaching over towards Sakura. He didn't go far, for the Sakura tree pushed him back harshly against the wall, making him break it.

"Kabuto, electrocute her." Orochimaru ordered.

Kabuto got a device from his pocket and spun it. "We're going for 20 bolts."

He pressed the button and Sakura immediately let out a hiss of pain.

"I suggest you call it back unless you want to receive a lethal dose." Orochimaru stated.

"I doubt you'd kill me." Sakura glared, trying to hide her pain. Still, Sakura called the tree back… she didn't need to be in a near-death position in enemy territory. When the time was right, she'd find a way to get out of there.

"And why is that?" Orochimaru inquired.

"You'd let one of the last remaining Harunos' die before you got to experiment on her? Especially one you seem to believe is the heir?" she glared. Even though the mere thought creeped her out, she knew he wouldn't let the chance pass by him.

"You know me so well." Orochimaru let his slimy tongue slip from his mouth as he licked his lips.

"Well, I've happen to have my fair-share of experience with creepos." Sakura glared.

Orochimaru 'hmmphed' and moved closer once again. "Where is the Sun God?" he asked again.

"I don't know." Sakura stated.

Orochimaru glared and looked back at Kabuto, who merely nodded. He turned the knob on his device once more. "Going for 35 bolts"

Sakura growled.

"Wrong answer."

"He's in a safe place." Sakura corrected herself.

"Where?" Orochimaru asked more harshly, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back.

"I don't know!" Sakura hissed.

"I saw your clone disappear with it." Orochimaru said.

"That clone I made was a special clone." Sakura glared. "It's a clone that has a mind of its own. Since I lost consciousness, I lost contact with it." Sakura said. "The only way for it to disappear is for me to command it to, for it to feel safe enough to, and for it to die."

Orochimaru glared, but turned around and left. "Lock her up tight, Kabuto. Don't disappoint me."

Sakura held back a sigh. _'How am I going to get out of this one? These restraints don't let me access my chakra; sneaky bastards.'_

'**We can't do anything.' **Inner sighed.

'_Are we just suppose to stand here?!' _Sakura thought, angered.

'**We must wait for Matsuro-sama.' **Inner responded calmly.

'_What?'_

'**She sneaked away with that clone in order to release the Sun God. I'm sure she knows of our predicament already. We must wait.'**

Sakura let out a loud groan. "Life's a bitch"

Kabuto merely stared at her with amusement before he locked up the cell. What an amusing little girl.

* * *

Matsuro sighed as she arrived at Sakura's apartment. Controlling a body was just… _weird_. So many things she had to have in mind.

She looked at her hands, where she had the small item. "Taiyou **(Sun)**, I'm here now, you're safe." Matsuro muttered calmly, placing her small hands on the object. "But first," she looked around the room, "We should get out of here, before anyone decides to go search for us."

Matsuro packed all of Sakura's stuff, not complaining at all the weight, even though she wanted to. Sakura might have inhuman strength, but hell, she didn't. Still, she didn't find it within herself, as a most noble God, to complain about a little labor.

Instead of taking the roof tops like Sakura, Matsuro easily transported herself to the woods, where she began walking to the direction she knew to be Konoha. She had already planned everything ahead from there on, after Sakura had disappeared. Seriously, they should have met up by now… something must have obviously gone wrong.

Matsuro had been walking for about 2 hours, until she deemed herself far enough from Mist. She then looked for a nice clearing, where she settled down and started to meditate.

"Taiyou, my brother. You have been locked away for so long; it is time for you to rise up once again, and take your rightful place as one of the rulers of this world." Matsuro concentrated as her hands began to glow a light blow. She placed her hands on top of the relic and soon enough, it started to glow a light blue, until it started to crack.

After a few more minutes, the statue and cracked so much, most of it had withered away. Soon enough, it broke, and light orange dust rose to the air… it just looked like dust, anyway.

Before the Sakura clone, a figure started to emerge. It was a man, with spiky, long, orange hair; wild and messy, it would've surely reminded the real Sakura of Naruto. His long orange hair went to his upper back, with long bangs framing his face.

His eyes were a penetrating blue color, a few tints darker than Naruto's.

He was tall and bulky, again, looking like a future version of Naruto… like Minato, almost. He wore a white dress-shirt and slacks with a blue robe over it, with a darker shade of blue on the hem of the robe.

It took a few minutes for him to fully materialize in front of Matsuro.

"Sister, is that really you?" Taiyou was hesitant as he eyed the Sakura clone suspiciously.

"It is me, Matsuro, brother. It has been too long." She assured him as she stood up and hugged him.

"It has sister; I have been in such a horrible place. But that is all over, thanks to you." He stopped hugging her after a long while. "Who is this you are taking the shape of?"

"She is the heir of the Haruno Clan… the true heir." She spoke warmly and fondly of Sakura as she stared at herself. "But anyway, speaking of Sakura, I am worried. She has not yet returned… it is odd, to say the least." Matsuro looked down hesitantly.

"Surely you are able to contact her." Taiyou said.

"I am… it's just… what if she has been captured?"

"We will get her back safe and sound." Taiyou persisted, a bold look in his eyes.

Matsuro shook her head sadly, almost hesitant. "If they captured you once, they can capture you again… as for me, I am not fully unsealed from the place I am kept at… you could say this is merely a," she paused for the right words, "little vacation, of some sort."

"So your powers aren't fully restored?" Taiyou questioned.

Matsuro shook his head, confirming his thoughts. "We are rendered useless as of now, brother. And if Sakura is unsafe, I would never be able to live it down. It is I, after all, the one who made her save you." Matsuro looked down in shame.

"Do not fear sister. We should not think for the worst, but be optimistic. Surely she's okay." Taiyou wrapped his arms around Matsuro in a comforting manner.

"I hope so, Taiyou-nii." Matsuro used her nickname for Taiyou. Taiyou was by far the oldest and most powerful God, even though he didn't manipulate as many elements as herself. But everything balanced around the Sun, and the energy provided by it, so initially, most of everything branched out from him; there was no higher power stronger than Taiyou himself.

"Contact this, Sakura. We must see how she is."

"Maybe first we should find a safe place to be at. We are vulnerable right now. My powers are sealed off, and you're have barely awakened. It could take several days before your powers take full effect. You are barely able to fully appear like this, after all.

"You are right; where is the closest town?" Taiyou asked.

Matsuro closed her eyes and concentrated for several seconds. "I believe if we keep walking North for about 2 hours we will hit a small town. If we take the right path, I can make sure we don't meet any unexpected visitors." Matsuro replied.

"Lead the way, Matsuro." Taiyou let out a small smile as he pushed himself off the tree and helped Matsuro up. "Might these be Sakura's belongings?" Taiyou asked, referring to the bags Matsuro had.

"Hai." Matsuro gave him a curt nod.

"I'll take care of these Matsuro. You never were the strong type." Taiyou held back his grin.

"Always must make fun of my small size, mustn't you, Taiyou. If Tsuki were here, she'd never let you live it down."

"But who knows where my dearly beloved is, now." Taiyou picked up Sakura's belongings and waited for Matsuro to lead the way.

"Hai" Matsuro sighed as she began the long walk with Taiyou.

* * *

It must have been around 5 in the morning when Sakura finally heard from Matsuro. She almost cried in happiness when she heard Matsuro soft voice.

'_**Dear, where are you? I have Taiyou, and he's safe and sound but, I'm worried.'**_

'_I've been captured by Orochimaru… I don't know where we're at but, I'm scared Matsuro. Knowing Orochimaru, he might try to do some creepy experiments, or even worse, make me his new body.' _Sakura withheld the shiver that wanted to crawl up her spine. She didn't need the guards staring at her every move to think she was a nut job.

'_**Are you hurt? Because if you are, so help me Taiyou, I will-'**_

'_I'm fine Matsuro… I've been electrocuted a few times but I'm okay. Just… please, get me out of here. There's no way I can get out of here alone.' _Sakura frowned.

'_**Don't worry, I'll find a way to get you out of there. In the meantime, I'll try to pinpoint you. Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to you.'**_

'_Please, just hurry.'_

----

"Taiyou, we have some bad news."

"What is it?" Taiyou braced himself.

"She's been captured.

**End of Chapter**

**Sorry if you spot a lot of mistakes… didn't have a lot of time to proof-read this, and I didn't want to make you all wait any longer.**

**Sorry if it took so long to update D: I've been EXTREMELY busy…. D: I had a science lab/project and now I have 2 LA ones… ugghh, everything just seems to be piling up D:**

**But hey, at least I got the next chapter up before somebody grew old and wrinkly, right? :D**

**Reviews are much appreciated!!!**

**Next Chapter: Saving Sakura (title may be changed)**

**Update Time: I'm already getting started on the next chapter so I'm hoping to get it up in 2-3 weeks… if I take more than a month, than I promise to have an early update! (I need to stop doing this late updating thingy _) **

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**


	23. Fleeing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

**Chapter 22: Fleeing**

It must have been two whole days.

'_Two freaken, __**god**__**damn **__days I've been in this cell!' _Sakura thought, completely infuriated. Seriously, how much long we would she be cooped up in here like a slave? Just yesterday Sakura had tried to escape, and even communicate with Matsuro, but nothing yet…

"_I need to use the bathroom again." Sakura glared at the guard in front of her cell. He looked back, obviously angry._

"_That's the fifth time today." The guard proclaimed._

"_So? What if I have a… umm, bladder infection?" Sakura glared._

"_Do you?" he questioned._

"_Does it matter?" Sakura scoffed. "I need to use the bathroom."_

_The guards were almost hesitant in letting her leave, but they had to comply. Orochimaru had said to at least keep her decent. Not that that even described decent. She hadn't showered in more than 2 days!_

_Two guards made their way up to Sakura, and started releasing her from the shackles that currently restrained her, excluding for a metal anklet around her right ankle._

_As soon as she was free, Sakura punched one of the guards against the wall, and gave the other an upper-cut. Three more guards approached her, ready to restrain her once again._

_Sakura tripped the first one, and then kicked the next in the stomach, making him knock down the other one in the process._

_Before Sakura could do anything else, she felt a surge of pain through her body. She hissed in pain._

"_40 bolts, and still brave enough to fight." Kabuto tsk'ed at her several times, watching Sakura drop down on the ground, in need of air. "How many more times are you going to try to escape?" he pondered, approaching her._

"_As many times as it takes before it gets through to you guys that you're __**not **__keeping me here." Sakura glared._

"_You have a strong will." Kabuto noted. "Orochimaru-sama will have a fun time destroying it." He smirked sadistically._

"_Go to hell." Sakura spat._

"_This is nothing short from hell, I assure you." He said smugly._

"_Yuna, please accompany Sakura here to the bathroom."_

_A small girl, no older than Sakura now, appeared next to Kabuto soon enough. She looked frail, and her plain kimono was torn badly._

"_Bastards -taking small girls as slaves." Sakura sneered._

"_They're perfect for experiments." Kabuto shrugged before Yuna approached Sakura slowly, as if frightened. Yuna helped pick Sakura up, and the two made their way out the cell._

"_If she escapes, tell me immediately." Kabuto ordered. "And," he smirked, "if it so happens she does manage to escape, you'll die."_

_Sakura flinched. Now she really couldn't just leave like that… but still, she had a plan._

_Matsuro and Taiyou were currently incapable of saving Sakura. Well, for the most part, Matsuro was. Sakura refused to receive their help though, considering it risked having two Gods being captured by Orochimaru. If he had managed to capture Taiyou once, he'd manage to capture him again, she was sure of it._

_Sakura and the Yuna girl made their way out of the long underground tunnels. Yeah, Sakura had to use the bathroom outside. How sanitary was that, seriously?_

'_As I said before, these thick forests could either be Sound, or Mist. But considering the weather in Sound a few days ago was rainy, I must still be in Mist… but far from any city as far as I can tell. Plus, it would take much too long to get to Sound; I haven't been unconscious long enough for them to transport me there in that short amount of time.' Sakura pouted._

_She and Inner had been trying their best to find their current location, seeing as Matsuro couldn't do much, because most of her powers were within the scroll, and being away from Sakura's body took a lot out of her with every passing day._

"_A-Aren't you going to u-use the bathroom?" Yuna asked._

"_Huh?" Sakura questioned. "Oh, no." she shook her head. "I just needed some… fresh air." Sakura lied as she inhaled deeply._

_What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't simply escape, considering not only was the anklet on her a tracking device and a chakra restraint, but it was also a painful electrocuting device. Damn Kabuto and his sneaky inventions._

'_Kami help me.' Sakura closed her eyes shut._

That had been yesterday. All that planning, and all that waiting, but still nothing… She could only hope Matsuro seriously had something up her sleeve, or maybe Orochimaru might actually be able to experiment on her…

"We can't just stand here and do nothing any longer." Matsuro panicked.

"What are we supposed to do Matsuro? Sakura refuses our help." Taiyou explained. "And surely going back over there wouldn't be the wisest of things. You're down to your last powers; you'll have to return to her soon. And when you do, you won't be able to come back out." Taiyou said.

"We need help." Matsuro said bluntly.

"We need her _location._" Taiyou insisted.

Matsuro sighed and sat down and started meditating. "I'll try to see if she has any clue."

'_**Sakura… my dear child, how are you?'**_

'_I'm hungry, cold, lonely, and angry.' _Came Sakura's short reply afterwards.

'_**Have you figured out where you are located yet?'**_

'_I can almost assure you I'm still in Mist. Somewhere near a river maybe, seeing as there seems to be a profound amount of water leakage.' _Sakura explained.

'_**I promise to find a way to rescue you Sakura. Please, be patient.'**_

Matsuro opened her eyes, staring intensively at Taiyou, before giving a sigh. "All she knows is she's in Mist still. Somewhere near a river."

"So what are we to do now?" Taiyou asked.

Matsuro thought for several minutes until an idea struck her head. "I have a plan, Taiyou-nii." She almost smirked.

"Ahh, sweet, sweet Konoha at last!" Marika exclaimed happily as she stared at the Konoha Gates from a distance. "First things first; gotta go talk to the Hokage." She told herself giddily. Time to see her adorable little sister! She could hardly hold back her excitement.

That is, until she spotted something at the corner of her eyes… _or someone_.

"Matsuro-sama?" Marika thought she was going mental. She had to blink several times and look around her warily to make sure someone wasn't just making a henge, or she wasn't caught in a genjutsu.

Matsuro nodded slowly. "It is me, my child." She confirmed.

Wow, this was the first time she had seen Matsuro; she had only been able to identify her because of her eye and hair color, and because of past descriptions of said Goddess. Most Harunos' said when you laid your eyes in Matsuro-sama, you would know right away who she was; the blood inside of you would identify her in a split second.

Marika immediately approached her and bowed. "It is a great honor to see you, Matsuro-sama." Marika said humbly.

"Please child; time is of the essence." Marika could have sworn she heard worry in her tone.

Marika immediately stood back up, wondering what was so urgent to have Matsuro appear in front of her out of nowhere.

"I was originally going to contact the Hokage; but seeing you here has made this all the more easier." Matsuro began.

"I thought you were staying with Sakura…" Marika wondered out loud, mostly to herself.

The look in Matsuro's eyes looked grave at the mention of Sakura, and Marika could only pray she was alright. "She's been captured"

Marika's heart must have stopped beating, for at the moment those words escape her lips, she could have sworn everything went dark, and she felt empty.

"Please, we must hurry." Matsuro's voice was the only thing that let her know she was still alive. "She's been captured by a man who goes by the name of Orochimaru; their specific whereabouts are unknown, but we are certain she is still in Mist, near a river."

Marika's eyes narrowed. "If he so even touches her, I **swear **I'll kill him." Marika started to think up the worst methods of torture she knew.

"Please, Marika," Matsuro began. "I have developed a plan, but everything must go according to it…"

Marika listened, and 5 minutes later, she could be seen dashing inside Konoha gates with such speed, she was invisible to the naked eye.

"_You will meet up with Taiyou, my brother, 10 miles off the main road on a small town. He'll tell you everything else from there. My powers are wearing out; I have very little time before I am sent back to Sakura's body."_

Matsuro's words rang in her head… This was all up to her now; Hiroto wasn't here to help. What kind of trouble had her little sister gotten herself into _this time_?

It was the last day.

If Sakura was not back today, well, Itachi really hoped it wouldn't come down to that; that would mean she'd gotten into some sort of trouble, and how would he make it on time if she was quite a distance away?

Itachi was interrupted when an ANBU appeared in front of him, bowing to show respect.

…Itachi had a feeling he wouldn't like this.

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you right away, Itachi-san."

Itachi didn't even reply as he turned around swiftly and headed for his house, where he quickly put on his ANBU uniform and disappeared.

And when he appeared in the Hokage's office, well, he didn't exactly know what to make out of this. "Marika-san?"

Her light pink eyes landed on Itachi's tense figure. "Itachi-san?" she questioned; she couldn't be so sure, considering his mask was still on. Still, there couldn't be too many people that recognized her for who she really was, and there couldn't exactly be too many 5'4 tall teens in ANBU…

Itachi promptly took his ANBU mask off and stood up from his kneeled down position. "Well, you're… alive." He stated, as if a good thing.

"Duly noted" Marika tried to hide the sarcasm in her tone; now was definitely not the time to play around.

"Marika, I trust you can fill Itachi in on the details while you tail towards Mist."

So it _did _involve Sakura, Itachi couldn't help but grimace.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Marika quickly bowed before she ran out the window. Itachi didn't need to bat an eyelash to know he was supposed to follow.

Their speed was fast, only Jounins would be able to make out who they were. Once they reached the village gates though, they went even faster, almost doubling their speed.

"It's been a while." Itachi tried to make conversation.

"It has." Marika agreed. "You seem well."

"As do you" he replied curtly.

"Not as well as I wish I'd be." Marika muttered.

"Ahh" Itachi responded quietly. "So, what is the mission description?" Itachi spoke after a while.

Itachi noticed her steps faltered slightly for a second, before she tried to recompose herself. "Sakura's been captured."

Well, that was certainly something Itachi didn't want to hear…

"By Orochimaru" she added.

"Orochimaru?" Itachi questioned. What business could he possibly have with Sakura? The answer came soon enough; she was a Haruno teen who was in ANBU. And now that almost all Harunos' were dead, well, yeah you get the point.

"What's the plan?" Itachi questioned.

"Umm…" Marika said unsurely. "We'll meet a… _friend _in a small village, and he'll tell us the rest."Marika answered.

"Friend?"Itachi questioned. If there was one thing he knew, was that there was no such thing as a 'friend' besides a fellow Konoha-nin while on a dangerous mission.

"He's a very trusted source, I'll put it at that." Marika diverted answering the _real _answer.

"How will we know when it's him?"Itachi asked.

"Umm…"

'_That's a good question…' _Marika thought, sweat-dropping.

"I'll know when I see him." Marika tried not to shrug.

Itachi eyed her warily. If there was one thing he so greatly despised, it was being kept in the shadows. Something Sakura always seemed to do…

Damn Harunos' and their secretive selves…

'_I spy with my little eye something… gray.'_

'**Is it that dull looking rock to our left?' **Inner guessed.

'_No'_

'**How about the sharp one next to the guard?'**

'_Yup'_

'**I spy with my little eye something ugly.' **Inner commented dryly.

'_The fat guard currently picking his nose and wiping in on the cell wall?'_Sakura guessed.

'**Yup'**

'_I wonder if we can stab him with the rock…'_

'…**We're really becoming desperate.'**

Sakura ignored her inner and tried to find ways she could possibly stab the guy in the throat, tilting her head to the right slightly as if trying to get a better angle.

"I'm bored."Sakura said out loud, directing her attention to the guard.

The guard did his best to ignore her, but she kept going.

"Entertain me, will ya?" Sakura sighed.

The guard looked back slightly, but then turned around once again and faced the opposite direction as Sakura.

"Yeah, this is very nice hospitality." Sakura's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Juggle for me you fat monkey!"

The guard seemed offended and angry, while the other two snickered in the sidelines. "It's not funny, Katsuo, Seiji." He retorted, glaring at them both.

"On the contraire, I think it's quite funny. That's why they're laughing." Sakura sighed. Maybe she could get them to kill each other… that would be a good plan.

"You just shut your little trap." He retorted.

"Nah, I don't think I will." Sakura sounded as if she were contemplating her answer.

"Why you…" he took one menacing step towards Sakura, his fists already balled up.

"Whoa, take it easy Matsuo." Katsuo took a protective step towards Matsuo.

"Yeah, if anything happens to me, Orochimaru would surely have your heads on a silver platter and then have you for lunch." Sakura agreed childishly.

"This little brat's asking for it. "Matsuo glared.

"So what if she is? You know the rules." Katsuo replied.

"One more peep out of her and I'll-"

"You'll what? Hit me? Kill me?" Sakura smirked. "I _dare _you." Sakura's sentence sounded a lot more than a threat than she had originally planned. Matsuo seemed as pissed as ever, but even Sakura couldn't help but notice the fear in his eyes, and the way his breath hitched in his throat for the slightest of seconds.

Matsuo grumbled incoherent words but turned around and exited the cell once again.

Yeah, it was as Sakura had thought. These people were much too terrified of Orochimaru to defy his orders. Surely it would mean death for them anyway, so they couldn't really afford to mess up.

Well, her plan of having them killing each other was down the drain…

Sakura estimated it had been another day when Kabuto approached her once again. You couldn't be too sure when you were past the level of exhaustion, where you could no longer sleep, and it also didn't help when the only light you could see came from a tiny little light bulb on the ceiling that left most of everything to the imagination. Surprisingly enough, Kabuto undid the latches and told her to follow him.

Sakura eyed him warily, but followed nevertheless.

There were so many underground tunnels, Sakura couldn't quite believe it. But then again, it had been the same the one time they had gotten so close to saving Sasuke in the future. Maybe Orochimaru liked long, boring, endless tunnels which you could probably die in if you didn't know your way…

Yeah, that sounded like something Orochimaru would like…

After several minutes, Sakura and Kabuto entered a large expanse, still underground, unfortunately.

She saw Orochimaru on the other side, standing with a smirk on his face.

"I delivered her here as you ordered, Orochimaru-sama." He stated.

"Lower the chakra restraints." Orochimaru paid no attention to his past statement as he examined Sakura. She was dirty, her uniform torn, but she was still in good enough condition.

(In his opinion anyway. Sakura felt filthy! It had been what, three days since her last shower?)

Kabuto eyed Orochimaru warily, but did as he was told and turned off the chakra restraint.

"What do you want with me?" Sakura asked.

"I want you to fight me." Orochimaru replied as he approached her.

Sakura glared. "And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll die." Orochimaru's hands turned to snakes as they dropped to the floor and slithered towards Sakura, latching onto her.

Sakura stared intently at Orochimaru, her fierce gaze clashing with his own calm and composed one.

"Go to hell" she seethed.

A snake made an attempt to bite her, but as soon as it opened its mouth and showed its fangs, a tree branch erupted from the ground and penetrated it, going through the snake. It died and fell limply on the floor next to Sakura's foot.

Sakura felt like she slightly had the upper hand now. Thinking back, she knew Orochimaru would have no clue about what she could actually do with her tree.

'_Inner, was it the plant or the tree that lets you access a transportation jutsu?'_

'**Yeah, don't try it though.' **Inner replied.

'_Why not?'_

'**The plant is the one that truly offers it, considering it doesn't take your chakra. The tree can use it as well, but it will take a serious toll on your chakra reserves. Besides, it'll be useless, considering Kabuto can bend you to his will as long as he has that thing.' **Inner's reply sounded angry.

Sakura contemplated the answer –both answers, from Orochimaru, and from Inner- for several long minutes.

"Fine, I'll fight you." Sakura finally spoke.

"Good choice." Orochimaru smirked.

"But," Sakura paused, seeing the snakes unravel themselves from her body and go back to Orochimaru. She stepped up to him daringly and stared at his dark eyes. "I want you to dispose of the anklet I have now."

Orochimaru stared at her unconvinced. He knew what she could be planning –he heard Haruno's had speed like no others. But this underground base stretched on for miles; there was no way she could find a way to get out without them being able to catch her. But what if she had something up her sleeve as well? Harunos' were tricky, they could deceive, and they were stealthy.

But on the other hand, he was just so, _so _interested to find out what she could do. Her jutsus, her speed, her Kekkai Genkai, if anything. He just wanted to discover it all. It was just too good to pass up.

"You drive a hard bargain." Orochimaru replied after weighing his options. "Who's to say you won't disappear as soon as I let you free?"

"You're right." Sakura said. "I might disappear in front of your very eyes as soon as the anklet is off." She admitted.

Orochimaru needed motivation; he wouldn't risk letting her go unless he got to see what he was missing out on, she knew that.

Sakura closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, her eyes were no longer jade in color, but a brighter green. Her pupil shrunk, and three petals took shape in her eye, taking an icy blue color.

"Or," she smirked in satisfaction as she saw Orochimaru become intrigued, "I can give you the best fight of your life."

"Kabuto, release her." Orochimaru did not hesitate this time. Just seeing her eyes sent thrills through him. Just imagine how many moves those eyes had seen. How many moved those eyes _contained_. Orochimaru was eager… eager to see those eyes in his body.

Kabuto again, seemed hesitant, this time more than before, but he complied nevertheless, getting out a small, thin silver key from his pocket and getting down on his knees in order to remove the anklet.

Sakura stared at her ankle, which had developed a purple hue around it. She frowned; nice hospitality they had.

"So, what will you start off with first?" Orochimaru seemed to have directed that question more to himself than to her. She really disliked how he was eyeing her; as if she were a caged animal meant to be viewed and studied.

Sakura snarled. "You just made one of the biggest mistakes of your life." Sakura immediately bolted at him with such speed Orochimaru didn't know what hit him. She punched him in the face and sent him flying back all the way to the end of the dome, where he hit the wall with a loud thud and dropped to the floor. Really, she just needed to vent some anger out and lash at him for keeping her here –and not to mention she still had some deep emotional issues against him, seeing as he had taken Sasuke away from her and Naruto, and the rest of Konoha.

"My, such a powerful punch." Orochimaru acted as if he had just been tickled. This just angered Sakura even more. "But, I guess in order to get the best out of you," he stood up slowly, waving from side to side like a drunken fool as he did so, "I'll have to attack as well," and as he said that, his arms out-stretched forward until they turned into hundreds snakes, aiming venomous fangs at her.

Sakura quickly made the hand seals Hiroto had taught her, and then "Flower Style: Petal Barrage!"

As Hiroto said would happen, instead of white petals, pink petals shot out from her hands and Sakura hurled them towards Orochimaru. The petals pierced right through the snakes, slicing some right in half, and Sakura watched as Orochimaru jumped out of the way right before the petals hit him.

Orochimaru got right back on his feet and then charged at her with full speed.

Sakura merely stood still and ordered her tree to attack from below and try to incapacitate him by latching onto him.

Immense roots sprouted from the ground and tried to latch onto Orochimaru as he dashed towards Sakura, a bit surprised at the attacks coming from below. He avoided them as best he could, jumping from place to place as more roots started to sprout from the ground, aiming for his feet.

Once she realized Orochimaru was too fast for her to actually do anything, she punched the ground below her harshly and let the earth underneath her crumble into a small hole, just big enough for her to fit in there.

Sakura smiled as she jumped down, and then the earth closed up once more.

Orochimaru stood there, dumb-founded, though immensely intrigued. "She is definitely a pet to keep." He remarked to himself lightly.

From underneath the ground…

'_How do I use the transportation jutsu?' _Sakura thought.

'**It takes a while; I hope you do understand that. And there are several things you must take in count. For starters, it takes years of practice to fully gain control of the technique. Since this is your first time, who knows if you'll even get that far. And not to mention it'll drain your energy drastically.'**

'_This is my last chance Inner. If I can't escape now…' _Sakura turned pale as she thought of what could happen to her. No, she could not, _would not, _let that happen to her.

'**You must give your tree time to prepare itself for the jutsu. Once it's ready, you'll know what to do, don't worry about it. Just summon it. Be careful though, while preparing, your tree will be left vulnerable. You must make sure you protect it at all costs.'**

Sakura sighed. Inner's instructions better be right, that's all she knew.

Sakura felt the ground around her shake, until it started to crack. Light gleamed in from the surface, and Sakura quickly jumped out before she got crushed by the surrounding ground.

As Sakura jumped out, she was thrown back harshly by a wind technique. She hit the wall behind her and felt blood trickle down her head. She groaned lightly, but bit her lip and sucked the pain in.

'_Tree-san, I call upon your assistance. Please, prepare yourself for a transportation jutsu.'_

The tree didn't reply. Instead, once again, the ground started to shake until a large cherry blossom tree sprouted from the ground. It was large and stood at a corner of the battle field, the corner that had not yet been damaged.

Now, to stall for time…

Sakura focused her attention back to Orochimaru, who was looking at her curiously. "What could you be planning, I wonder?"

"It's for me to know, and you to find out." Sakura smirked as she charged at Orochimaru once more. They began to do Taijutsu –Sakura found this the best way to stall for time, considering Orochimaru would never land a hit on her with her Petal Eye activated.

It was interesting, to say the least. Her speed was above average even for ANBU. She was quick on her feet and had fists of steel. And not to mention… Flower style… he had never heard of such a thing! There was so much to look into, Orochimaru didn't know where to start! He would certainly need to keep her for further analysis.

But, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel she was planning something when she began with taijutsu. She was blocking and avoiding every single attack perfectly, as she should, but just barely. She was obviously not that skilled with taijutsu, but she was using it anyway… he stared at the tree from the corner of his eyes as Sakura launched a fist at him. In return, he grabbed her wrist and flung her at the wall.

Sakura pumped chakra into her feet and landed on the wall squatting down, and just as quickly as she landed on the wall, she pushed herself off and landed right in front of Orochimaru head first. She balanced herself out with a hand on the ground and did a one-handed handstand, and kicked upwards, hitting Orochimaru under his chin.

Orochimaru flew up high in the air and landed several meters away from Sakura.

Sakura took this time and relaxed slightly, trying to catch her breath. Her body now still hadn't reached its full potential –her chakra reserves were low (for someone of her skill level anyway) and her stamina was cut short. Much shorter than she'd actually like. Maybe she wouldn't be in this mess, had her body been more capable of handling all of the energy she had to use now, if she wanted to get out alive, that is. If only she had her real body, fighting Orochimaru would be but a breeze right now.

Curse her thirteen year old body for being so fragile and getting tired so easily. But still, this body was at least easy to move with –she had been very flexible in her younger years, so that gave her somewhat of an advantage, she supposed. Once she grew older, she lost most of that flexibility, considering most of the time she didn't have to bend in unnamable ways in order to dodge certain things; she just had to use her fist to punch the hell out of it until it disintegrated, or kick a boulder from underneath her to protect her of things.

Yes, brute force had its advantages, but it seemed to also have its own disadvantages too.

Sakura knew something was wrong when Orochimaru let his body skid much longer than it needed to. It looked painful, Sakura admitted, and she doubted –no matter how much of a psycho, pain-loving maniac he was- that he would do that for just any reason.

And that was when it hit her.

_He was trying to get closer to the tree!_

Sakura should have known better; of course it would look suspicious of she just summoned a tree out of nowhere, for no apparent reason. Sakura didn't have much time to react, seeing him make hand signs for a great fireball jutsu.

Sakura quickly appeared in front of the tree, her hands already in motion, and quickly set to work on countering his jutsu with her own. Now there was a slight problem; the technique was a big one, how would she make sure the tree was unharmed?

Hmm, Kisame's technique would certainly be of good use to her right about now…

"Water Style: Water Dragons!"

Her water dragons clashed with the fireball, and the room turned moist, the water evaporated into nothing-ness by the heat of the fire.

Well, at least the tree was safe.

But now there was another problem –he knew the tree was important, just didn't know what it was for. So, of course, he'd be going after it now.

Wind and Fire techniques were sent from this way and that, and Sakura had to hand it to Orochimaru, _he wasn't making this easy._

And then another problem arose; if she wasted too much chakra on trying to protect the tree, how would she be able to actually travel a fairly decent distance without getting caught?  
Yeah… Sakura was royally screwed…

Well, at least she thought she was…

Right before she was about to create another water technique, she saw the tree move from the corner of her eye.

Examining it closely, she noticed the bark of the tree had… _opened._

'_I guess this means I can go.'_

Sakura wasted no time. She dashed towards the tree and entered, and as soon as she did, the bark closed back up.

And then… it was dark. Pitch Black. Sakura didn't know what was happening until her chakra began draining and she became very dizzy.

It could've been a matter of seconds before the tree opened up once more. This time though, she was out in the open. Oh, how good it felt to take in the green forest and salty air.

But oh, how much more she would have enjoyed it if she hadn't fallen to the floor the moment the tree released her too.

Her chakra was almost completely drained now. And from the looks of it, she hadn't gotten that far from the base…

Sakura forced herself off the floor, albeit groggily and slowly started walking.

'_Tree-san… please, I need chakra.'_

'_I apologize mistress, but since you have been underground for a while, I have not recovered that much.'_

Sakura felt chakra return to her seconds later. It wasn't as much as she really wanted, but she was still thankful for it –this chakra would probably save her life.

Still, she had to travel fast and undetected if she wanted to get out alive. She noted from the area she had barely even transported herself away from the base –ten miles, if she was lucky.

They would catch up to her fast.

She knew it, and she detested it.

Still, some chakra was better than none. At least the chakra the tree had provided would keep her conscious for the next 30 minutes (if she was lucky) if she didn't strain herself too much.

But then again, that was hard to do when trying to run away from an S-Class criminal…

'_Kami, I don't care which, just help me please.' _Sakura stared up at the sky for a moment and said her silent prayer before speeding off the opposite way of Orochimaru's base.

"Where's your friend?"

Itachi was becoming more and more impatient by the minute. They had arrived in the town just about 20 minutes ago, and for most of that time, Marika had been looking around nervously, almost as if she didn't know what exactly she was looking for…

"Ummm… good question… he should be here…" Marika shifted legs, changing her position as she leaned on the brick wall of the building. From the information Sera had told her, he should've been waiting there for them…

"His name?" Itachi questioned.

"Umm… Taiyou." Marika replied hesitantly.

"You called?"

Marika jumped three feet in the air, startled by the sudden voice.

She turned around quickly, finding a man with long fiery red her grinning down at her. "T-Taiyou-sama?" she questioned.

"The very same." He nodded. He looked past Marika and stared at Itachi curiously. "An Uchiha…" he seemed slightly shocked.

"Hmm?" Marika questioned, turning around. "Oh yeah, how'd you know?" she asked.

Taiyou looked at Marika for a few seconds, then back at Itachi. "I happen to be acquaintances with some very old Uchihas…" and by that, of course, he was referring to the Gods who made up the Uchiha Clan…

"Well… that's Itachi right there…"

Taiyou and Itachi both nodded at each other, a quick greeting, before Taiyou turned back around and started walking away. "Quick, we must hurry."

Marika blinked twice, and by that time, Itachi and Taiyou were already several feet away. Sighing, she quickly caught up to them and walked in between them. "Do you know where exactly we'll find Sakura?"

"As of late, no…" Taiyou replied. "Orochimaru's lair is underground… where no sun reaches…" he whispered the last part, making it inaudible to Itachi, who was following them a few feet behind, next to Marika. "So I can't exactly say the location of the lair, though I have done my fair share of exploring."

"And what have you come up with?"

"Orochimaru has many followers, or slaves, or whatever you wish to call them." Taiyou began, this time making his voice louder, so as to fill Itachi in as well. "And they obviously must visit a town every now and then in order to get supplies such as food and weapons, so I have come to a conclusion that they can't be too far from here. I have already confirmed the lair is within a mile radius of the river just south from here."

"So she must obviously be close by." Marika nodded.

"Yes, depending on how big the lair happens to be." Taiyou agreed.

"Well then, let's get to work." As they reached the forest once more, they each nodded silent towards each other as they dashed inside the forest.

20 minutes into her fleeing, Sakura could already feel with her very skilled senses, that Orochimaru and Kabuto were on the move. It must have taken them at least a few minutes to find out Sakura had fled the battle, and around five more minutes for them to understand she was nowhere inside the lair either.

Even though she was glad for that time they had spent, she wished maybe the lair could have been a little bigger…

Nevertheless, she had to focus. Keeping track of chakra was becoming too difficult for her, and it wouldn't matter anyway, just staying away from them was her goal.

And if Sakura would have focused for even a minute longer, she would have also sensed three very strong and familiar presences approaching her fast as well…

Orochimaru should have seriously listened to him –it was dangerous having that little girl out without restraints. And now, here they were, running after her as if she were some… _treasure_… He could laugh at the preposterous thought.

If Kabuto would have sat down and reasoned out, he would have admitted he was jealous.

But as of right now, the only thing Kabuto could do as he and Orochimaru jumped from tree to tree, was snarl. Him, jealous of a little girl? Please!

Sure, Orochimaru had taken an interest to her, but that was to be expected. She was Haruno, and they had all but died out now. And not to mention that no one had ever learned any of the Haruno secrets, just because they were kept secret and locked up between clan elders, and those who were old enough to be sworn into secrecy.

But he had remained Orochimaru's favorite for quite a few years. Of course he would still remain his favorite…

Right?

…_Right…?_

The more Kabuto thought about it, the more nervous he got. And not to mention Orochimaru was already mad at him as it was. Blaming _him _for having the little peasant escape headquarters…

'_Should've been more vigilant my ass!'_

Kabuto was angered; furious. Orochimaru had been the one fighting the Haruno girl –he should've been the one watching her every move, and making sure she didn't attempt to escape…

Nevertheless, he could never be mad at his master for too long… he had taken him in and shown him everything he knew so far, even if it wasn't much compared to thing he would learn in the future.

"She's rather sluggish." Kabuto commented, the dislike in his voice not even hidden.

"Yes… but that's because she has no chakra, no doubt." Orochimaru smirked. "Still, enough energy to create many chakra-consuming jutsus… and not to mention the restraints took about half of her chakra already…" Orochimaru sounded beyond pleased.

Kabuto was just that much angrier… Surely Orochimaru wouldn't beat him too much if he 'accidently' killed the Haruno…

Yet, something inside of him told him not to try it…

Around the time Sakura had been running for 30 minutes, she could no longer run. Her feet were screaming at her, her legs and thighs aching. Every step became harder, her strides becoming wobbly and weaker. Her arms felt dead and limp, and she was extremely light-headed.

By now, she could no longer go on. Leaning on a tree, she gasped for air and prayed whoever was searching for her would not find her, or would, better yet, run right past her and never see her.

Yes, that would be quite delightful.

Yet, she doubted that would ever happen if it were Orochimaru searching for her –such a skilled ninja they both were, she'd be hard to not sense.

She knew she should still be trying to flee, but her both her mind and body were screaming the same thing: STOP BEFORE YOU DIE! They were probably exaggerating anyway, but she was already to the brink of unconsciousness, and that would be even worse that being exhausted. The only one on her side, was her heart, which was telling her to flee so she could see her loved ones… for she knew if she didn't get out of this, she'd probably not have another chance…

"There you are, my little pet."

The color on Sakura's face drained, making her paler than before. She didn't need to, nor want to, turn around and see who it was speaking to her. All Sakura did was close her eyes and pray once more.

'_I'm so sorry you guys…' _

She had promised Sasuke she'd take him out for his 'congratulation ice cream', and now she couldn't… she had never even seen Marika, nor Himawari…

And not to mention…

The last time she saw Itachi, they were mad at each other… they never even got to make up…

Sakura finally opened her eyes and looked up at the trees to see Orochimaru and Kabuto leaning on them lazily. They then jumped off and stood there several meters away from her.

"Such trouble you are." Orochimaru tsk'ed.

"Glad to know I've been a pain in the ass, then." Sakura retorted.

Orochimaru chuckled. "So much will… this'll be fun…" Orochimaru stepped up, but Kabuto stopped him.

"Please, let me handle this and show my true worth, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto begged, looking down at his feet.

Maybe if he showed he could defeat the Haruno… maybe Orochimaru would see she wasn't that powerful –that needed…

Orochimaru stepped back, interested, and nodded. "Very well Kabuto… don't fail me now…" he smirked and leaned on a tree.

Sakura groaned as she was forced to move away from the tree she was leaning on, for seconds later the tree was cut off smoothly several times by a wind technique.

Sakura, not having enough energy, was only able to step forward a few paces before she fell and kart-wheeled several times.

'_Tree-san, how much chakra have you been able to collect since 30 minutes ago?' _Sakura questioned as she got back up on her feet again and tossed herself to the right, while Kabuto tired aiming kunai at her.

'_Not much.' _And as it said that, a small amount of chakra pulsed through her body.

Now, she had to make that last…

Kabuto approached her at a speedy paste and began trying to attack her using Taijutsu. Sakura dodged slowly, getting hit every now and then, and began looking for openings.

It took several hits for Kabuto's defense to slacken. Maybe he thought he had Sakura; that she was too weak to even counter any of his hits.

For the most part, he was right. But Sakura had emotional strength, and she would not give up that ice cream with Sasuke of she could help it.

She had let him down so many times before… not in this timeline, but in the other… Frankly, she was tired of the disappointed glances and ashamed stares he had always given her… It was time for a change. Sakura was the strong one now.

'_You'll be the ones to watch my back…' _Confidence drove Sakura now, and she began picking up her speed. She stopped getting hit by Kabuto, and soon enough, she even activated her Petal Eye.

"There!" Sakura shouted in triumph as she pumped chakra into her arms and hit vital chakra and pressure points on both of Kabuto arms.

Next, she shifted her position and pumped chakra into her left foot, and she kicked Kabuto in the stomach. He was sent flying harshly and was knocked against a tree, where he fell limply to the floor.

Sakura could only hope he was still conscious… If not, that meant Orochimaru was taking over… and she sure as hell couldn't defeat him in that condition.

Orochimaru pushed himself off the tree. "You disappoint me Kabuto. I expected more from you…" Before Orochimaru could take a step forward, Kabuto slowly began getting up.

"T-This… is my battle."

"B-But how…" Sakura inhaled deeply. "I hit the vitals… his arms shouldn't be able to…" Sakura trailed off, shocked. Her body slumped to the floor, her arms in front of her as she sat on her butt, her legs on either side of her.

"I didn't spend five years of harsh training with Orochimaru-sama for nothing." Kabuto explained.

"That's right… even with his vitals hit…" Orochimaru spoke, "he's managed to move them." he smirked.

Kabuto quickly ran at her, his hands glowing blue.

'_Chakra scalpel.' _Sakura gulped.

Sakura tried to move, but her body would no longer follow her directions. Her eyes darted around frantically around the area.

Kabuto was 3 feet away from her, and Sakura closed her eyes in fear.

And then… she felt herself being picked up.

"So you really _are _a Haruno."

Hey eyes opened in shock.

"**Kisame?"**

**End of Chapter**

**Don't got much of anything to say, besides being EXTREMELY sorry for not updating in forever. I'm finally done with testing, so I think I'll be able to update more often… not to mention school's almost done for me! :DD**

**Anyway, I'm having some family problems, so that's why I haven't updated that much... It's so hard to feel inspired when your day is crappy with issues, okay, so please, even if you do want me to update badly, don't tie me up and threaten me xD I have enough pressure as it is.**

**Anyway, and all feedback is welcome, and I'll see if I can update the next chapter soon! Toodles for now!**

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**

**P.S. sorry of you see mistakes… I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer, so I didn't get to spell check it as much as I wanted to. :o**


	24. Rescue

**Omg, hey everyone, sorry for the mess up, i was in a hurry and was not able to double-check that i had updated the right chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

_Recap_

_Orochimaru pushed himself off the tree. "You disappoint me Kabuto. I expected more from you…" Before Orochimaru could take a step forward, Kabuto slowly began getting up._

_"T-This… is my battle."_

_"B-But how…" Sakura inhaled deeply. "I hit the vitals… his arms shouldn't be able to…" Sakura trailed off, shocked. Her body slumped to the floor, her arms in front of her as she sat on her butt, her legs on either side of her._

_"I didn't spend five years of harsh training with Orochimaru-sama for nothing." Kabuto explained._

_"That's right… even with his vitals hit…" Orochimaru spoke, "he's managed to move them." he smirked._

_Kabuto quickly ran at her, his hands glowing blue._

_'__Chakra scalpel.' __Sakura gulped._

_Sakura tried to move, but her body would no longer follow her directions. Her eyes darted around frantically around the area._

_Kabuto was 3 feet away from her, and Sakura closed her eyes in fear._

_And then… she felt herself being picked up._

_"So you really __are __a Haruno."_

_Her eyes opened in shock._

_"__**Kisame?"**_

"Yo pinky" his reply made Sakura relieved beyond control; it had been around four days since she had had any real human interaction with people she actually _liked. _And inner and Matsuro didn't count either… technically, they weren't even humans… Well, she really didn't know what they were, but that was a different topic, for a different day. Preferably, a day where she **wasn't** being chased by Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"…There are seriously no words to currently describe how much I effin love you!" Sakura squealed in delight and wrapped her arms around his big bulky self.

"I told you I'd see you around some time soon." Kisame said with a grin as he jumped away from the tree, where a fire jutsu totally burned it to a crisp seconds later. It seemed Orochimaru now knew what he was facing.

"Kisame Hoshigaki… you make quite interesting friends_…" _he hissed. He couldn't say he was all that happy about Kisame showing up… on the contraire actually, he was quite _infuriated._ Kisame could either match his skills, or even be more advanced than himself, he couldn't be so sure. But know he knew he was a downfall unless he got some help…

"And I can't be any happier you were right." Sakura sighed. She felt much too comfortable around Kisame. Maybe it was the fact that he was a six foot blue giant who happened to be in Akatsuki (meaning he was seriously strong) and was on her side had something to do with it…

Nevertheless…!

Kisame chuckled and looked down at her. "And it was just my luck I decided to investigate the familiar cha-"

"Move!" Sakura shouted roughly cutting him off, just in time for Kisame to look up and see sharp ice daggers aiming for his head.

Once he landed a safe distance away, he looked at Orochimaru irritably. "You know, it's very hard to converse when you're aiming for my head." Kisame glared.

"That's not my problem." He smirked. He opened his mouth wide, and hundreds of snakes started crawling out from his mouth.

"And one could only guess where _those _come from…" Sakura muttered to herself.

Kisame laughed. "I don't think now's the time to crack jokes." Kisame tried paying attention to the slithering snakes now at full speed towards them. "You got any suggestions?" he prayed her Haruno mind could save them from that one. He knew he had a pretty good chance pitting against Orochimaru. Thing was, he had to carry a little girl with him. That would surely ruin most of any chance he had against Orochimaru.

"Yeah, just one." Sakura blinked a couple of times, taking in the full situation. "**RUN!**"

And so he did…

Running the opposite direction, they sped past trees, birds, some more trees. Odd thing was, the snakes were keeping up with them, if not catching up, and there Orochimaru was, riding the thousands of snakes like a wave.

"We gotta do something or else we're both goners." Sakura shivered. She'd be damned if she had to return to that hell hole of a prison cell again…

'_Tree-san help us out please.'_

And so it did. Once Kisame jumped to another branch, the previous one morphed into daggers that were sent flying at the snakes. It stabbed several hundred but they were just replaced with more snakes.

"Screw offense! Just stall please!" Sakura shouted nervously. Kisame didn't quite understand who she was talking to, but it made more sense when the tree branch he was on morphed into a platform and raised itself higher and higher above the ground.

Then, the trees behind them formed into a tight wall that stretched on for miles, and was just as tall as their current location hundreds of feet above the ground.

Sakura and Kisame wanted to stand back and watch to see if the wall would actually keep them back, but they had no time as the platform underneath their feet turned in a slide and they slid all the way to the ground.

"Let's go…!" Sakura said frantically, staring back at the wall in hopes it would keep Orochimaru back. It had only been around a minute before they heard an explosion and a gust of wind hurled past them. Sakura knew he would have gotten through eventually, she just wished it had been a while longer…`

It seemed impossible, but Orochimaru caught up to them in no time, now going _faster _than before.

A snake wrapped itself around Kisame and tightly grabbed on. Swiftly, Sakura grabbed a kunai from Kisame's belt and chucked it at the snake, stabbing it directly in its head.

Kisame wasted no time to dart off before any other snake got the chance to do the same.

But it was useless… Orochimaru was hardly wasting energy, and they couldn't keep running forever…

And when all hope seemed… there it was.

The slightest feint presence of chakra…

Familiar chakra…

And it was getting closer and closer by every passing second.

"Kisame, change directions. Go that way." Sakura said, pointing to the left.

Kisame changed directions and hopped to a tree right before a snake pounced on the very spot he had been in.

'_Tree-san, make sure nothing touches Kisame.' _Sakura saw what Orochimaru was trying to do. Make him slip or fall and tie him down. That way, they were both rendered useless, Kisame being tied by snakes.

And the tree did just that. Any time a snake got too close to Kisame, it was suddenly stabbed by a branch, or decapitated.

And just over the trees, she saw it.

Or _them._

But more specifically, _him._

Itachi didn't know what to expect when he first began running. But this…

This was just a little too much.

Was she… was she with _Kisame Hoshigaki_?  
Fleeing from an avalanche of _snakes_?

What had she gotten herself into?

Her eyes were directly on him. They seemed relieved more than afraid… And well, he was positive his eyes said the same thing.

"It's okay Kisame, they're friends." He heard her say, and this reassured him more that Kisame was not an enemy at this point.

Itachi didn't really know what to do now. Kisame and Sakura were approaching them fast, but with them were the snakes. And even he knew there were much too many of them for him to take them on by himself.

"I'll handle this."

Itachi looked to his left, where Taiyou inhaled deeply. And as he exhaled, he felt the heat of the sun intensify… or maybe it was just the air around him?

The wind picked up slightly, and his long orange hair seemed to lift with the air… It almost looked like fire.

And at that very moment, he felt just slightly stronger. The fire in him burned with passion. He didn't know if it was power he was feeling, or if it was the urge the protect Sakura.

Almost instinctively his hands moved with quick motion, as did Taiyou's.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Fire erupted from both their hands and was hurled towards Sakura, Kisame, Orochimaru, and the millions of snaked following them.

Right before it seemed Sakura and Kisame would be consumed by the fire, Kisame jumped away from the fire. That was all he could see. He was relieved Kisame could get out of the way.

But aside from that… whoa.

His fire…

It had been stronger than ever before. And not to mention his fire techniques were already impressive to begin with, but this… it was just…

He couldn't even describe it. The feeling was just too overwhelming.

"Sakura!" Kisame shouted loudly.

Itachi watched Kisame jump back alongside them, and taking the image in, he noticed Sakura was nowhere to be found.

He turned back to the fire, almost frantically. Immediately, both Taiyou and Itachi stopped the jutsu. There was smoke everywhere, and it was too thick to see through.

The silence carried on for several seconds, until the dust started clearing.

Sakura was lying on the floor, Orochimaru's long, extended snake wrapped around her right leg until it's fangs lodged themselves in her calf. There were several severe burn marks around her arms, legs and stomach, but compared to what it _should've _been, it was hardly anything. Still, they were third degree burns, and should not be taken lightly.

"Sakura!" Marika yelled loudly, running towards her.

Marika quickly ran to her side, grabbed a kunai, and swiftly cut Orochimaru's hand off, and threw it to the other side of the forest. "Sakura? Can you hear me?" she said nervously.

Sakura peered at her through half-lidded eyes. "M…Marika?" she thought she was just hallucinating.

Tears welled up in Marika's already puffy eyes as she smiled. "Yes, it's me. It's me Sakura." She wanted to hug Sakura so badly, but she knew at this point it would only cause her pain.

"Marika, look out!" Taiyou shouted loudly.

Marika looked up, only to see a long sword aimed towards her head. Marika didn't even flinch. As soon as it was centimeters away from her nose, a root erupted from the ground and vine gripped the sword tightly. More roots erupted from the ground around her and it wrapped around the long sword.

Marika stood up slowly, all traces of tears gone from her face. Her look of worry and relief turned into a cold stare as she looked across the battlefield, where Orochimaru was standing, the long sword erupting from his mouth.

"You almost killed my sister." She growled darkly. As she did so, the vines slowly started growing more and more, following the sword and approaching Orochimaru. "For this, you shall pay…"

The vines grew small Jasmine buds that latched onto the sword like leeches. Seconds later, the sword shattered into millions of tiny little pieces. Seconds later they were already charging at Orochimaru, until out of nowhere, a short kid with gray hair appeared in front of him. His hands glowed blue as he slashed the vines and Jasmine buds away.

Marika's eyes narrowed.

"Taiyou-sama, get Sakura." She didn't bother looking back towards Taiyou.

He appeared behind her seconds later and slowly picked Sakura up, and jumped back, returning to his original position in between Kisame and Itachi.

Slowly, more Jasmine roots grew from the ground near Marika, but this time, the buds bloomed into full flowers. They seemed to do nothing, until slowly, kunai started blooming from the Jasmines. Marika grabbed a couple of them and readied herself.

Seconds later clashes of metal could be heard. The movement was quick, only the trained eyes would be able to focus on it.

It seemed both ends of the battlefield for tied for several minutes, until Marika finally landed a blow on Kabuto.

A slight scratch was now on the side of his cheek. Marika looked more than accomplished.

Kabuto didn't understand, but he charged once more, his palm growing blue once more. As he charged, he noticed Marika wasn't even making an effort. In fact, she wasn't even moving anymore. As he was inches away, his body froze, and he began shaking slightly. His palms stopped glowing blue, and they slowly dropped to his side.

Orochimaru, who at that point had been looking at the fight, entertained, pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on, and looked intensely.

"Jasmines are… very powerful." Marika smirked. "The Carolina jasmine… or their nectar, more specifically…" Marika said.

Kabuto's eyes widened.

"Yes, so you've finally figured it out. It's poisonous." Marika smirked. "In a few minutes your vision should her foggy, you will be paralyzed, and your chakra pathways will close up."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed. This couldn't happen… he had trained so, so hard. Beaten by a mere girl… he was suppose to be able to help and protect Orochimaru… not… fail…

Before Marika could comprehend what was going on, Kabuto disappeared and reappeared behind her, and hit the pressure point behind her neck.

And just like that, they both went down. Kabuto now paralyzed, and Marika now unconscious.

Somewhere in between the chat, Kisame became painfully away that these Haruno's must be pretty damn strong. Watching them both fall to the floor, he narrowed his eyes, side-stepped, and swung his sword to the right, right before Orochimaru appeared and tried to hit Kisame.

Orochimaru ducked and ran right past him, now aiming for Sakura, who was watching him with half-lidded eyes filled with terror. If he could at least… His thoughts trailed off as he opened his mouth widely, two fangs sticking out.

'_The curse mark.' _Orochimaru smiled smugly.

A flash of Sasuke went through Sakura's mind. She remembered all the pain he had gone through. All the lives he destroyed. All the love he threw away…

Just because of _that._

She didn't know when she got the strength to do so, but she pumped her fist with chakra and swiftly punched Orochimaru in the face with as much force as she could possible muster.

Orochimaru was sent flying up, hitting a tree, and slumping down to the floor.

"I refuse…" Sakura said slowly, and Taiyou, Kisame, and Itachi watched in surprise as she slowly and hesitantly started to get up.

Orochimaru looked up in shock. In that state, she shouldn't even be able to move a finger… What was driving this girl, he wondered. What willed her to stand up and fight?

"I refuse to hurt the people I care for…" Sakura almost fell to the floor, but she picked herself up. "…Just because of some stupid mark." Her eyes narrowed as a flash of Sasuke went through her mind. An image of the Forest of Death, where he nearly pulled the kid's arms out of their sockets.

Orochimaru looked up, slightly confused, but for the most part interested.

"I… I refuse to put people through that pain again! I will protect them!" Sakura shouted, anger and courage fueling her.

'_I will protect everyone I failed to save in the future!'_

She half limped towards Orochimaru and lifted him up with a hand and held him roughly against the tree trunk. "You have no idea how much I hate you." She glared. "I lost everything because of you." She glared.

Orochimaru smirked. "Maybe you were just too weak to save everything precious to you." Orochimaru smirked.

Sakura's strength faltered. Although she hated to admit it, Orochimaru was right… If only she had been stronger… none of it would have happened…

If only she had discovered her Kekkai Genkai earlier, maybe Sasuke wouldn't have called her a weakling, and maybe he would have seen her as something more than just the weak little girl he always had to protect…

Slowly, her strength an anger faded, and Orochimaru was set back down on the floor.

Orochimaru smirked. "That's right, isn't it? You were too weak to save the ones most precious to you…"

Her parents, Sasuke, _her entire clan._ Lady Chiyo, and maybe… if she failed… Naruto… her most precious person…

Orochimaru walked away, and picked up Kabuto.

"It seems, for now, there isn't much I can do." Orochimaru stared back at the group in front of him. "I'll be back for you, Sakura-chan." he liked his lips before he disappeared.

Sakura looked down at the bark in front of her before she passed out.

'_No…'_

Pain.

That was the first thing Sakura noticed once she awakened. But it wasn't just pain; it was _excruciating pain._ It was so bad in fact, she yelped out in pain.

What had happened? Her memory was a bit fuzzy at this point –you really couldn't blame her though. She was nearly completely out of chakra, had severe third degree burns around her body, had a snake bite on her calf, and not to mention she had been living in poor living conditions for the past four days.

When Sakura could concentrate even the slightest bit, she felt fresh cool water being dabbed on her forehead. She could only guess it was Marika; that is, if she hadn't been imagining her to begin with.

"How's she doing?" Sakura recognized the voice as Kisame's.

"Well, I don't exactly know how to put it." Marika scratched her head hesitantly. "To put it simply, she could be worse…" Marika trailed off looking at Sakura sadly.

"-But she could be better too." Kisame finished the unsaid words. "She'll survive though… right?" Kisame spoke the words not only him, but Marika and Itachi were wondering.

"Sakura's tough." Marika smiled slightly. "She wouldn't let this take her away from us…" Marika started reminiscing about the old days… the days life was almost careless, if you will… Even clan responsibilities and early engagements were better than life now…

"Is there anything we can do…?" Kisame asked.

Marika sighed. "There isn't much we can do… I'm not a legit medical ninja and what I can do… it won't be of much use. Taiyou-sama is taking the time to scout right now, and search for some herbs that'll help her burns." Marika said. "But… I suppose I can help numb the pain…"

A small Jasmine budded right next to her.

"Isn't that the same flower that poisoned Orochimaru's henchman?" Itachi questioned.

"Yeah… the Carolina Jasmine." Marika nodded. "The nectar is poisonous, but its roots, when dried help as a sedative…" slowly, Marika pulled the Jasmine from the ground and pulled of the roots, quickly making her flower dry.

Marika started crushing the roots on a nearby rock and afterwards began to place then on Sakura's burns. At first, Sakura flinched slightly, but slowly the pain began to go away.

"Thanks… Marika." She murmured.

Marika smiled, thankful she could be of some use to her little sister. "What are sister's for?" she tried not to laugh at the irony.

Sakura tried not to laugh, for it hurt, but she still cracked a smile. "Where are we…?" Sakura questioned.

"In the middle of the forest, near the village. We figured that'd be the first place Orochimaru would search for us, so we decided to at least make it a challenge." Kisame smiled.

"And… how long has it been?" Sakura questioned.

"You've been out for seven hours." Sakura was almost startled when Itachi spoke. It had been so long since she had heard his voice… and she hadn't even properly talked to him yet…

"I think it's time… I get better…"

Kisame raised an eyebrow. Did she honestly expect to heal like that? The damage she had taken must have been a little more severe than they had previously though… Maybe she hit her head and was going loony.

'_Tree-san… is there anymore chakra?'_

'_Yes Mistress.'_

Sakura slowly felt chakra return to her body, and having so much made her feel warm on the inside. To be honest, she hardly had half her full chakra, but she had had such little chakra these past few days, even that seemed luxurious.

Sakura did the best she could to heal herself, but thanks to Marika's sedative, she didn't really understand the severity of her wounds. She knew she wouldn't able to heal them all, and it would take at least a week –or maybe more- to properly heal them.

She just hoped she wouldn't end up with scars afterwards…

Sakura only managed to heal her hands and feet, and her left arm partially, before she decided to should stop. Her chakra was low enough, and she didn't know whether or not she would need it later on.

"Marika… would you umm… help me…" Sakura looked around her, Kisame and Itachi staring at her intently, as if waiting for her to finish her sentence so they could help in every way possible. "…bathe…"

Kisame and Itachi stopped staring at her and turned around, walking away almost awkwardly, on Itachi's part anyway.

Marika giggled. "That's where the small pond is located, boys."

And trying to be as cool and collected as possible, they both turned around and walked the other direction, as if that did not happen ten seconds ago.

"Wait," Marika called out. "Before you leave, can you give me a hand getting her there?"

Kisame and Itachi looked at each other, and before Kisame could even take a step forward, Itachi was already by Sakura side, listening to Marika about which way it would be best for her.

Kisame chuckled. Maybe this was the kid…

"Kisame, I have shampoo, bandages, and a few towels in my bag, can you get them and follow us? Or better yet, just bring the whole thing." Marika called out to him.

"Sure" he responded. By the time he picked up her bag, Itachi and Marika were already halfway out the clearing.

Once they arrived, Itachi set Sakura down gently, and Sakura thanked him almost hesitantly. She hadn't forgotten that when she left, she was mad at him.

"Before you leave, one more favor Itachi." Marika smiled brightly. Itachi looked up at her expectantly. "Heat up the water please?" she pleaded, a small pout on her face.

Itachi complied, and when he was done, hot steam was emitting from the pond, making it look that much irresistible to Sakura.

There were several awkward seconds before Sakura turned to them. "I kinda need to undress now…" she trailed off.

For a moment, Kisame and Itachi almost thought she wanted help for that too… Heat rose to Itachi's face ever so slightly, and Kisame just look downright awkward.

"That means leave…" Marika glared

Kisame and Itachi exhaled a breath of relief, though Itachi's was microscopic, and they turned around and walked away."We'll be at the campsite." Kisame said before they disappeared into the bushes.

"Boys could be so dense." Marika shook her head.

Sakura giggled. "Tell me about it." She was almost reminded of back in the days… or, sometime in the not-so-near future with Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai. Being the only female in a team with two perverts, and one emotionally constipated ANBU was not a very bright idea in Tsunade's part, but hey, she loved them.

"Okay, let's get these clothes off of you, if it could even be considered clothes anymore…" Marika said, looking at Sakura's clothes. It was torn, and burned, and dirty, it now looked more like dirt instead of its regular red color.

One by one, the clothes was taken off and thrown onto a random bush, where it would later get disposed of. After Marika had settled Sakura onto the water, she got out the shampoo from her bag and set in on a random rock sticking out of the spring, and then grabbed two towels and set them on a nearby branch.

Marika then took her own clothes off, and went into the spring. "The water feels good, right?" Marika smiled.

"Better than you can imagine." Sakura replied dreamily, sinking into the water, her nose just submerged.

They sat still for a while, just taking in the warm bliss, before Marika swam towards the shampoo, and then towards Sakura, and started squeezing the shampoo bottle. She began to scrub Sakura's hair lovingly.

"…It feels like old times." Sakura said slowly.

"Yeah, except you used to be half my age, not eighteen." Marika laughed at the irony.

"So I take it Hiroto-kun told you?"

"Yeah… Matsuro-sama…" and that was all Marika really needed to say. "But… I still don't understand why…" Marika said slowly.

"Why what?" Sakura questioned.

"Why… Itachi would do such a thing…?" her next words came out as nothing but a whisper.

Sakura sighed. "This is a question I would like to have the answer to as well…" Sakura said. "From what Tsunade-shishou told me, it was planned by the elders… something about the Uchiha starting a coup. Now starting at this mission, I strongly believed in Tsunade's words, that the elders had been lying, and they just feared the Uchiha name would grow too powerful…" Sakura trailed off.

"But…?" Marika felt there was more.

"But," Sakura said, "The longer I've been here, the longer I've come to realize things aren't exactly the way we imagine in the future." Sakura admitted. "I always thought Itachi was an evil man who didn't even have a heart… but the longer I've been here… I realized he just… puts on this façade, if you will, to please others. He's selfless and kind, and he puts himself at risk for the sake of others. He's brave and intelligent, and he loves Sasuke so much…" There were just too many mistakes Sakura made in judging Itachi… "It's almost impossible imagining the Itachi now is the same one in the future that ruins Sasuke's life…"

"People may change in the course of time Sakura." Marika said, but even she did not believe Itachi was capable of doing such a thing…

"That's another thing… things are so much different here than they are in the future…For starters, I never met any of you in my timeline… no Haruno whatsoever… Orochimaru was never interested in a Haruno, but instead on Sasuke Uchiha, one of my many teammates… It's just hard to understand everything that was going on while I was so young… But look at me, my older sister is scrubbing my hair like she did when I was five, and I haven't seen her in over eighteen years…" Sakura laughed, painfully aware it had been much to long…

Marika, who had been listening intently, finished scrubbing all the grime out of Sakura's hair and began pouring water on her. "So, you just don't know what to believe?"

"Exactly…" Sakura sighed. "My mission here is to prevent the Uchiha Massacre, whether it be to annihilate the elders, or Itachi, or at the most, Fugaku if he really is planning a coup. But the information Tsunade gave me might be wrong, and I don't want another innocent life to suffer…" Sakura frowned. "I promised myself years ago I would never let anyone I care for get hurt… But my heart won't even let me think about killing Itachi, and if he does get away with killing the clan, then he'll hurt one of the most important people in my life…" Sakura was trying her best not to cry.

"Shhh…" Marika pet her hair soothingly. "I know when the time is right, you'll know what to do… Haruno's did always have a sense of knowing what is right and wrong." She did her best in trying to cheer Sakura up.

Sakura laughed bitterly. "I wish I could just kill the elders and let this whole thing be done with. They always did find a way to spew danger every day. They even tried to kill Naruto at one point." She chuckled, almost darkly as she recalled the time she was seventeen. "They said one by one, all the Jinchuuriki were being captured; it was only a matter of time before they came looking for Naruto. But if Naruto died, the Nine-Tails would perish along with his body. This way, the Akatsuki's ultimate plan would cease to continue…" Sakura said.

Marika crinkled her nose. "The elders were always on our backs too." Marika admitted truthfully. "They were trying to get me to marry into the Uchiha." She said slowly. "I had an arranged dinner with Itachi, to see whether or not I would choose him as my betrothed."

"You what?" Sakura was flabbergasted by the news.

"Pipe down." Marika laughed. "Don't worry, I have no interest in your boy friend Sakura." She tried not to tease as she continued on with her story. "The elders were infuriated, to say the least. I don't quite understand why they wanted me to marry Itachi so badly…" Marika shrugged it off. "And they even wanted children as soon as possible! Can you believe those old bags! I'm only thirteen!" Marika shook her head in disgust.

"I think we can all agree Konoha would be better off without the elders." Sakura sighed.

There were several seconds of silence.

"Just curious, but who exactly where you going to get suited to?" Sakura asked. By now, Marika was scrubbing her own hair, now several feet away from Sakura.

"Huh? Oh, it had never been decided really. My last option was a suitor in the Inuzuka clan, but I never got to meet him. I'm kinda glad though…" Marika said.

"So… you already had your eyes on someone?" Sakura asked.

"Well… I guess you can say that. I met him in the Uchiha Compound. He helped me find the main household. I tell you, the place is _huge_."

Sakura scoffed. "Tell me about it." She tried not to roll her eyes.

Marika began scrubbing her arms. "You know, funny thing is, I never actually learned his name…"

Sakura sweat dropped. "W-What?"

Marika narrowed her eyes at Sakura. "You are in no position to talk missy. You're in love with a boy technically five years younger than you."

"_Technically,_ he's seven years older than me, thank you very much." Sakura scoffed. "And for now, I am a literal twelve year old." Sakura pouted.

"So what are you? Six, twelve, or eighteen? Pick one!" Marika complained.

"But living three different lives is so much fun." She said sarcastically, a fake pout on her face. They both started laughing mildly.

"You're going back to Konoha with us, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, there's some business to take care of in Konoha. As soon as I arrived I was sent out by Matsuro-sama." Marika explained.

"I see…" Sakura nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, they were all done with their baths. Marika had refused to scrub Sakura, for it would hurt her burns too much. Stepping out of the small spring, she grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around her, then grabbed the other towel and walked towards Sakura.

"Are you able to stand?" Marika questioned, holding out the towel.

"I-I think so…" Sakura slowly used her hands to help get her out of the water. Halfway there, she nearly fell, but a small Jasmine bud sprang up and wrapped itself around Sakura, on the flesh that was not burned, and helped push her forward.

Once Sakura emerged from the water, Marika wrapped the towel around her, and then began twisting her hair, in order to get all the water off.

"What shall I wear now?" Sakura asked slowly.

"I have another pair of my clothes. You can wear that for now." Marika replied.

"I don't know if it'll fit me…" Sakura said slowly. Marika's body had developed quite nicely… At this age, Sakura was still as flat and straight as a stick… _'Lucky Marika' _she grumbled in her mind.

And Sakura was right, trying on Marika's clothes, which consisted of a light, soft green tank top, and blue shorts. Once the clothes were on, Marika helped Sakura back to the campsite, where she set her down gently and went back to the spring to collect their stuff.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet my savior."

Sakura looked up, seeing a man with long orange hair. The first thought that ran in her mind was Naruto, and she instantly felt at home.

"Taiyou-sama." Sakura couldn't believe at what speed she managed to get up at bow, even though nearly all her muscles were screaming at her for doing so.

"Please, now is most certainly not the time. Besides, I owe you my life." Taiyou smiled warmly at Sakura.

Sakura shook her head. "I was merely doing my duties, Taiyou-sama."

Taiyou looked at her skin, the burns a red hue.

"Fire can be so dangerous at times…" Taiyou trailed off. "Yet, it gives life to all. It brings warmth and happiness, and fun memories." He touched one of her burns, and Sakura flinched, expecting it to hurt. But it didn't, and Sakura watched in wonder as the burn slowly receded.

"Alas, my powers are still weak. Especially after fighting back… Orochimaru, was it?" Taiyou began wondering his name.

"Yes…" Sakura confirmed.

"I have put you in so much trouble, little one." Taiyou seemed almost reluctant to look her in the eyes. "You're eyes are bright with bravery and courage… Reminds me so much of the day I met Kikyou…" he hummed, then shook his head. "Because of me, you will be in more danger. I'm sure he will not stop until he find the heir. We should just hope he doesn't find out it's you. I now find it my duty to keep you safe"

Sakura shook her head. "If anything, it would be of much help to watch over my younger self. From what I previously told Orochimaru, the heir is but a toddler, so I doubt he's as interested in me. But… the child me… I'm too vulnerable, and I don't know what is happening…" Sakura trailed off.

"Very well," Taiyou nodded. "If it is you wish for me to protect your younger self, I shall do so."

"Thank you Taiyou-sama." Sakura bowed once more, before Kisame and Itachi appeared from the some bushes with sticks and branches in their hands.

"Lookin' good Sakura." Kisame teased.

Sakura huffed. "Well excuse me for being too small for Marika-neechan's clothes." She glared at Kisame.

"I think… we should go shopping." Marika appeared moments later.

"Great idea, let's go Marika." Sakura smiled brightly.

"Not so fast." Her eyes narrowed. "You'll attract too much attention if you enter the village." Marika replied.

"But how will you know if the clothes fits me?" Sakura asked.

"I think… I know my little sister good enough." Marika smiled.

"Little sister?" Kisame and Itachi blurted out, slightly puzzled.

Marika ignored them. "Kisame here obviously can't go because he's a missing-nin. If anyone saw a Konoha nin it would attract attention too…" Marika contemplated. "So, I'll go with Taiyou-sama, and you two can take turns scouting the area and watching over Sakura." Marika smiled triumphantly at her genius plan.

"Who made you the leader?" Kisame argued.

"I don't think there is any argument on this. Taiyou?" she looked at him to see if he had any rejections.

"I think it's a wonderful plan." Taiyou smiled warmly.

"Itachi?" she looked to Itachi expectantly. If Itachi really did like Sakura like she thought he did, then he wouldn't refuse being by her side.

"Hn"

"That settles it, let's go Taiyou-sama."

"How do you even know that 'hn' was a yes?" Kisame growled.

Sakura laughed at Kisame. "You have much to learn about the Uchiha's, Kisame my friend." She sighed.

Kisame sighed. "I've noticed…" his reply sounded somewhat miserable…

The silence was stretching on for longer than it should. It usually wasn't awkward between them at all.

Once Kisame left for his scouting, Itachi started a small fire, and Sakura began to wrap bandages around her wounds… yeah, she pretty much looked like a mummy with clothes on.

"…How's Sasuke?" that was the only thing she could think of as a conversation starter.

Itachi, who had been too busy looking at the flames in the fire, suddenly looked up. "Fine".

Sakura had been hoping for more of a reply…

Truth be told, Itachi still felt guilty. It was his fault Sakura was burned so badly… maybe if he had better control over his fire… or maybe if he just hadn't done it so much…

And not to mention he was the reason Sakura had left to begin with. Maybe if he hadn't called her abnormal, or been so jealous –yes, he had finally admitted he had been jealous- maybe she would have left later and none of this would have happened.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

The sudden confession caught Sakura off guard. "For what?" she couldn't help but ask. How could he be sorry for anything right now? He practically saved her life…

"I was the reason you left, was I not?" Itachi replied, looking up to meet Sakura's gaze.

Sakura didn't want to admit he was right, for then she knew he would feel guilty. "It was inevitable… I was bound to leave eventually…" Sakura tried rejecting.

"I burned you…" Itachi looked at all the bandages on her.

"This merely happened because Orochimaru held me back… if you didn't use the jutsu then we would have all been chased by the snakes." Sakura shook her head. "Besides, I summoned the sakura tree to protect me right before it hit me, so the damage wasn't as severe. Still, the fire was too strong for her to take, so she did burn…" Sakura said.

Sakura didn't even see when Itachi was next to her. He enveloped her in a gentle hug, yet it seemed needy. "I thought… I lost you…" his words were but a whisper, but they were filled with so much pain and worry, yet relief and happiness.

Sakura's shocked expression softened, until she returned the hug, no matter how much it stung. "I thought I was going to die too." Sakura admitted. "But I wouldn't let myself die… I still have things to do before I even come close to that…" she closed her eyes, trying to hold back tears. "I thought I'd never be able to see you again… to see Sasuke… and Naruto… and everyone important to me…" Sakura said. "Yet… I had faith… faith you'd come and rescue me…and you did…" Sakura smiled slightly.

They were silent for several minutes, just enveloping each other in a much needed hug. Sakura… really liked this, to say the least. She hadn't seen Itachi in about a week, and they had been mad at each other… so to have just made up like that was… quite heavenly indeed.

Now she could hardly wait to go home and give Sasuke that congratulations ice-cream he had been waiting for…

**End of Chapter**

**O_O Yes, I did take forever. School is starting soon, and I have homework to do :S isn't it crazy? I'm going to be a freshman, school hasn't started yet, and I ALREADY have homework… curse those AP classes _**

**Anyway, yeah, reviews appreciated! I'll see what I can do to post the next chapter!**


	25. Clan Rituals

**Chapter 25: Clan Ritual**

Home, Home, Home

That was all Sakura had had in her mind for the past two hours. They were now close to Leaf territory, much to Sakura's –and everyone else's, great pleasure.

Itachi had sent the Hokage a message fully describing everything that had just occurred, from finding Sakura being carried by the one and only Kisame Hoshigaki, to having to face off Orochimaru, and Sakura being in a near-death state with no chakra to spare whatsoever, and injuries beyond belief (which he was still upset about, because he gave her the third degree burns).

So now, Sakura found herself straddled in Kisame's arms, with Itachi alongside her, Marika just a few strides ahead of them, and Taiyou bringing up the rear.

"We're almost at the gathering point." Itachi notified quietly.

The Hokage had replied to the message with top speed, telling them he would have three of his best ANBU meet up with them. Of course, the Hokage made it clear Kisame was to be let go freely, no fight, no nothing, and their main priority was to get Sakura to Konoha as safely, efficiently and quickly as possible.

"You know, I'm actually going to miss you." Sakura mused, looking up at Kisame.

Kisame grinned. "I can't say I didn't enjoy these past few days as well." Kisame agreed.

"Oh yes, because being chased throughout Mist by Orochimaru is _definitely _thrilling and invigorating." Marika rolled her eyes at the sheer stupidity of the statement.

Kisame chuckled. "I'm just trying to say, the friendly interaction was rather refreshing." Kisame shrugged.

Sakura knew it must have come from the heart. From what she knew, Kisame had no friends, and hardly talked to anyone. In fact, it could be noticed that Itachi was Kisame's best friend during their Akatsuki years in the future.

And maybe, just maybe, that was becoming true in this timeline too, for she could have sworn she had seen Itachi and Kisame actually get into conversations while in their travels.

Sakura smiled brightly at Kisame. "You know, I'm extremely glad I met you, Kisame Hoshigaki."

"And it's not just because I saved your life right?" Kisame joked.

"Hey, I saved your life prior to this experience." Sakura scowled slightly.

"Hmmm, true…" Kisame admitted. The conversation was dropped, with both their thoughts hanging in the air.

'_You really are a great friend.'_

The rendezvous point came sooner than expected, and either of them wanted.

Sakura noted the 3-man ANBU team was made up of an Inuzuka (the big dog made it obvious) with what she guessed was a Hyuga (pale eyes through the ANBU mask), and an Aburame (there were bugs all around him).

This just furthered to remind Sakura of Kiba, Neji, and Shino, which made her all the more homesick, which just reminded her she needed to get the hell back in Konoha.

The ANBU were on alert mode once seeing Kisame, but they let it slip and approached them, under a shaded tree.

"Uchiha-san, Haruno-san." The ANBU acknowledged the two out of the five people they knew.

Itachi merely nodded at them, while Sakura gave them a meek smile.

Their eyes then landed on Kisame, who seemed slightly tense. True, the Hokage had said he'd let him slide, and Sakura and Itachi had assured him on top of that, but maybe Konoha elders (for he had heard they had a bad reputation of doing as they pleased and sneaking behind the Hokage's back) decided his head would be a nice price on the market.

The Hyuga spoke up. "As promised, you are free to go, Hoshigaki." They didn't need to be dense to notice he still spoke his name with distaste. "Plus, the Hokage adds his own personal message…" the Hyuga trailed off.

"Which is?" Kisame raised his eyebrow in question.

The Inuzuka, seemingly less up tight (a lot less) took off the mask, revealing it was a girl, and parted her lips. "You're always welcome in Konoha, as far as he's concerned." She gave a wolfish grin most of all Inuzuka's gave off.

"You shouldn't reveal your face to the enemy." The Hyuga hissed at his teammate.

"Oh pipe down Hyuga." She snorted. "Did you not here the Hokage? _He's welcome in Konoha._" She rolled her eyes. "That obviously means he's more of a companion than an enemy. Isn't that right Uchiha, Haruno?" The Inuzuka was rather loud and amusing, even though she addressed everyone through last names.

"You bet'cha!" Sakura shouted gleefully.

Itachi merely nodded solemnly in return.

"See, we don't have too much to worry about."

Kisame decided he liked this girl.

Not like, like,

But still liked.

"We should get going." The Aburame said quietly, slowly, gathering attention even with his solemn words.

"He's right." Taiyou was the one who spoke up this time, and all eyes turned to him. "Sound ninja have been following us for the past two days… It isn't wise to hover here for too long."

The ANBU's stances quickly tensed and they adverted their eyes quickly. How was it they could not sense them, if what he said was true? The Inuzuka looked down at her companion, who merely sniffed the air.

"She says she can catch a scent, but it's extremely faint."

"Whatever they're here to do, they're doing a good job at it." Itachi muttered quietly. He had only been able to sense them yesterday, when one of them slipped up. Of course, that particular ninja was now dead though…

"Should we get rid of them?" The Hyuga already had his Byakugan on.

"No. The most important thing to do right now is get Miss Haruno to safety. We don't want to risk meetings. They might be stronger than we bargained for. Besides, they won't be able to go too far once we reach Konoha lands." The Aburame was seriously starting to remind Sakura of Shino.

The reason they had decided to meet close to Leaf, and not send back up in Mist, was because a group of five ANBU members in a different land, without certified mission papers on top of it, would be extremely suspicious in the eyes of other countries. Some would come up with assumptions that they were spying on countries, perhaps to start a war.

That's right, the Hokage had to have the best interest in Konoha as well, not just Sakura. He couldn't risk Mist suspicion, because then the ultimate leak about a Haruno (in ANBU at age thirteen specifically) would leak out and another war would be started, no doubt.

"He's right. Sakura needs to go to a hospital as quickly as possible. My sedatives could only do so much…" Marika said.

"Right then, let's get to work." And as the Inuzuka said that, Kisame gently put Sakura to the floor, making sure she could stand on her own. "Are you fine riding on Shia right here?" she patted her dog's head.

"Yeah" Sakura nodded.

Good thing she was small, and the dog was big.

Before she climbed atop the dog, she gave Kisame one last stare. He seemed to catch her unspoken words and chuckled. "Don't worry kiddo. We'll see each other again someday." He ruffled her hair playfully.

"Soon?" It seemed like whatever Kisame said before was true, so she just kept hoping it was the same now.

Kisame hesitated on his response for several seconds. "Eventually…" he said.

Sakura frowned. Yes, it was true, unless she had an unexpected mission to Mist in the near future –which she highly doubted, considering she nearly died after going there, then she wouldn't see much of Kisame at all.

"But I'll write you." Kisame piped in.

Sakura thought it through and then grinned. "I'll hold you to your word then."

The rest of the goodbyes' were minimal, with little to no words being exchanged. When Itachi and Kisame said good bye, they merely eyed each other for several seconds, as if talking telepathically, before Kisame broke a grin and slapped Itachi on the back. Playfully, of course. Itachi returned the slap by smirking, and then nodding at Kisame.

'_Who really understands the bond these two hold?' _Sakura snorted. Even before the Uchiha Massacre they were already making their friendship. _'Shisui's getting a run for his money all right…' _Sakura thought.

Soon enough, Sakura was gently placed on Shia –which reminded her a lot of Akamaru- and then they began running, paying no attention to the Sound ninja following them, but also on high alert just in case of an attack.

* * *

With the fast progress they had been making, they made it back to the Konoha gates in about an hour and a half.

Apparently, the Uchiha household (a.k.a. Mikoto, and Fugaku) had been alerted of Sakura's situation, for as she entered the village, see saw all three of them there, even though Fugaku seemed less than pleased to be there.

"Sakura-neech-…" Sasuke's words had been cut short, a gasp and a horrific expression replacing his features.

Idiots

Who had told Sasuke to come along?

It wasn't that she didn't miss him and didn't want to see him… it was just that… well… She didn't want _him _to see her. Especially not like that.

'_Especially not when I bailed out on his congratulation ice cream…' _Sakura frowned.

Before Sakura even had time to open her mouth, there was a group of medic nin by her side, doing a quick over-view of her current health and status.

Well, there wasn't anything these ninja would say that she didn't already know, so she zoned them out and closed her eyes. Now that she was safely in Konoha, she could relax a lot more.

Unknowingly, she blacked out. All the accumulated stress from the past week (being captured included) was too much for a thirteen-year old body to fair well against. In fact, it was so much stress not even seeing Marika or being alongside Itachi could help her.

The only reason she had been able to stay awake this long was because the trip over here was bumpy and uncomfortable, the Sound ninja were still creeping her out, and Inner's constant nagging that she should not give in to the darkness toying with her at the back of her mind.

But now, all that assured, she was back in Konoha, she was alive, and she was… err… alive. Yeah, she couldn't say she was actually healthy at this point in time… So now, when the nagging feeling of unconsciousness came back, she welcomed it with open arms.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how long it had been. All she knew was that when she woke again, the sun was setting, giving the sky an orange/pink hue, and it was extremely quiet.

Which was odd, considering there were actually plenty of people in her room. Marika, Itachi, Sasuke, Mikoto, heck, even Kakashi was there.

And not to mention six active ANBU members: four standing at every corner of the room, with the other two at opposite ends of the door.

Everything was hazy for a long time, as she waited to regain her senses. How long had she been out? The half filled chakra reserves of hers told her it had been about a day. Not only that, but the most severe of her wounds (the burns) were all but gone.

She could feel the back of her head stitched up, from when Orochimaru had slammed her into the wall while in his lair, and her body was sore.

"Mhhmmrr" Sakura tried to groan, but it came out more like muffled yawn.

Eyes turned to her.

It seemed, as of now, Mikoto and Kakashi were the only ones awake. She had been placing blankets on Sasuke, Naruto, Marika, and Itachi, like any ordinary loving mother would, when Sakura began to stir. Kakashi had been gazing out of the window near her bed, and immediately turned to her.

"Sakura! You gave us such a scare!" Mikoto whispered loudly as she ushered to her side quickly. Luckily, Mikoto was aware enough of her injuries and settled for placing a gentle hand on the bedspread atop her leg.

Kakashi shortly turned his attention to one of the ANBU standing by the door. "Notify Hokage-sama Sakura has awoken." The ANBU nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak "Ighh" No, that simply wouldn't do. Sakura cleared her throat. "I'm… sorry." She muttered slowly.

Kakashi, surprisingly enough, put his book away in his back pocket and stared at Sakura. "You took quite a beating." Sakura replied by smiling weakly at his general direction. "But you're one tough cookie now, aren't you?" he mused.

Sakura didn't reply, partly because it hurt to, but partly because the answer was just that obvious…

"S-Sasu…ke…" Sakura said slowly.

"He started crying once you hit the floor." Kakashi gave a minimal sigh.

Sakura sighed in discontent. She ditched him… to end up in a hospital bed? That had been one of the most stupid and rashest decisions she had ever made, excluding pitting against Orochimaru and Kabuto days earlier.

"I'm sure he was scared is all… He told me how you said you would come back healthy and perfectly fine, and then take him to get ice cream…"

Sakura made a sound at the back of her throat, as if saying she regretted it.

"But that's beside the point, Sakura. If you don't get your rest you won't be giving him his ice cream. He's been waiting for you to follow through with your word, you know." Mikoto told her. Sakura's eyes lingered on Sasuke sadly, before she sighed, and closed her eyes.

She couldn't remember much of anything afterwards.

* * *

She heard voices.

"_How is she?"_

That seemed to be a question asked quite frequently.

"_She's alive, that's all that matters."_

And that was the only answer anyone had really been able to reply.

"_You should go back and rest."_

"_No, I'm not leaving Sakura-chan's side."_

That was odd, no one she knew called her with that endearment.

"_You haven't slept in two days… come on."_

Wow, had she really been out that long?

"_They can go rest at the Uchiha Compound. There's more than enough room there."_

Most of anything else was too quiet or vague, and Sakura couldn't concentrate on it.

Sakura awoke hours later, and found out it was night, the moon light showing through the window.

The room was not as packed this time, but the faces were different.

Itachi and Sasuke were still there, but so was Naruto, each of the children sitting on Itachi's lap.

'_Tree-san… chakra please.' _She figured the tree had had quite a few days to give her chakra.

And it did.

Her reserves filled up more than half way, but not completely filled.

And with that, she was able to completely heal the remaining burns, which were all but small rashes now. Really, third degree burns were actually complicated to heal. And not to mention the hospital wouldn't really sprout into a blooming flower until Tsunade became Hokage and set the hospital straight.

She knelt up, and quickly took off all the mechanisms attached to her body and stood up, stretching. Laying in bed for two, three days had made her sore.

Itachi, sensing movement, opened his eyes quickly. He hadn't been asleep, just resting his eyes. It was a shock to see Sakura fully healed now, but he didn't give it much thought after remembering the previous experience with Hiroto…

Which he now knew was her cousin…

Curse his idiotic jealousy…

They stared at each other for several minutes, until Sakura smiled and walked up to him. She gave Naruto and Sasuke a quick peck on the forehead and then looked back up to Itachi. "Let's go home."

And they did.

Mikoto had been smart enough to drop off extra clothes for Sakura to wear whenever she did get relieved from the hospital, which she technically didn't… It consisted of a green tank top and creamy shorts, along with her regular ninja shoes.

Sakura carried Naruto in her arms while Itachi had Sasuke, and they left the hospital without argument. The nurses tried to keep Sakura in, but Sakura had been gone from home for too long. It was time to go back.

"How long was I out?" Sakura began conversation.

"Three days." Itachi responded.

"Hectic?" She questioned. She remembered a lot of noise while in her power nap.

"More than you could imagine." Itachi nodded.

"Hmmm…" Sakura hummed.

Itachi decided maybe he should surprise Sakura. After all, she didn't really know who had been visiting her…

Sakura entered the Uchiha Compound.

It was no louder than usual, but she had to admit, it seemed a bit… tenser.

"Kaa-san" Itachi said shortly afterwards, sensing his mother in the kitchen.

"Is your shift over already? I'll go take your place in a minute!" Mikoto responded from the kitchen, not yet appearing in the hallway.

Once she did, she was ecstatic. "Sakura!" she embraced Sakura in a huge hug, crushing Naruto in the process. Well, it wasn't like he would feel it anyway. He was a heavy sleeper.

"I'll umm… go tuck the kids in…" Sakura wanted to feel useful, so with a little arguing, she finally got the kids in her arms and went to Sasuke's room, where she tucked them in gently and then returned back to the kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" Sakura was now seated with Itachi and Mikoto in the dining table drinking tea.

"Fugaku had a clan meeting to go to. Your friend, Taiyou, left in the morning and hasn't come back since." Mikoto said, and Sakura nodded. That's right, she had told him to protect her younger self…

"And Marika is currently resting in your room with the kids and the other boy."

"What?" Sakura nearly spit out her tea.

Mikoto cocked her head to the side. "Itachi didn't tell you?"

Sakura turned to Itachi. "No, he has not shared this rather important information with me." She gave Itachi a look that said 'you are so dead later on'.

Itachi smirked. "I thought it would be a nice surprise for Sakura."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sakura made them stop. "What boy?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, you know… tall, black hair… pink eyes…"

Sakura was out and about after the mention of pink, as she rushed to her room.

Mikoto was about to go after her, but Itachi gently rested his hand on her own, and shook his head. "Let her be. She should catch up."

It seemed Itachi was the only one aware of the fact that everyone in her room were Harunos'…

Meanwhile, Sakura slid the screen of her room open suddenly, and stared inside.

Marika was leaning against the bed with a small boy tucked in her arms. On the floor beside her bed was Hiroto with two small girls playing a board game.

They all looked up slowly, thinking maybe it was Mikoto, telling them the treats were done.

"…Himawari-chan?" tears began appearing at the corner of Sakura's eyes.

Himawari was just as shocked as Sakura. Before anyone could blink, Himawari and Sakura were running to each other, both crying, and hugging each other like there was no tomorrow.

Marika and the boy were awoken by the noise they were making, but they made no movement that suggested they would stop the hugging fest.

They all had the time to chat afterwards…

* * *

"What are you all doing here?" Sakura questioned, now in between Himawari and Marika.

"Well, there are actually quite a few reasons we're here…" Hiroto began. "First of all," he began, "Himawari was nagging me too much." He said bluntly, and Sakura could tell only half of him had been joking. Sakura laughed gingerly but then quieted down. She knew that wasn't the only reason. Hiroto would not have risked exposure had it been such a measly reason such as that. "Plus… It has come to my attention that you have been using an awful lot of Matsuro-sama's power."

Sakura nodded slowly. It was true. She had. First to get to this time line, then to unseal Taiyou, and not to mention she had to use her own strength to stay outside of Sakura's body for that long.

"Now, as you may have guessed, Matsuro-sama's power is not unlimited. Everything draws its power from something else. Take example Taiyou, who uses the energy of the sun, and Tsuki, who gets hers from the Moon."

"And let me guess, Matsuro-sama's is us?" Sakura said slowly.

"Correct" Marika chirped.

"Now, the thing is, Matsuro-sama usually needs to replenish her energy once every thousand years or so… And in her honor, the clan usually throws a big ritual, where we give our own chakra to her…" Hiroto trailed off.

Sakura was now beginning to connect the dots, and leaned back on the wall to think. "We are most certainly put in a predicament then…" Sakura massaged her temples.

"What do you mean? Why don't we just do the ritual now?" Sayuri, who Sakura had just recently become acquainted to, spoke. "Back then, since our clan was so abundant, there was no problem of just everyone old enough or skilled enough to just give her a small fraction of their chakra…" Sakura said. "But since it has come down to just a few of us, three of us being kids without a decent amount of chakra reserves no less, giving up the sufficient amount of chakra Matsuro-sama would need to survive would be risky, and may even be fatal. Now, had we been saved a decade or two, this whole problem would be avoided. Hiroto, Marika, and I would most likely be married with children, well on our way to two or three, which would at least give us more of a chance."

The room stayed silent, most of the children taking in the new found information.

"When will we need to complete the ritual?" Sakura said quietly.

"In about a month's time…" Hiroto said slowly.

Sakura hummed out slowly.

"What are you planning?" Hiroto questioned. In truth, sometimes he felt inferior to Sakura now, considering she was actually eighteen. Even though she didn't look it, she sure knew how to act it in important situations such as these.

"Well, the only way to increase our chakra reserves is full-on training…" Sakura muttered slowly, pressing her thumb to her teeth as she thought it over. "So basically, we all have a month to increase our chakra reserves as best we could and hope it's enough to suffice…"

"But that's practically impossible…" Marika gasped. "To gather as much chakra needed… _a clan's worth of chakra, _Sakura… We can't _possibly_ split all that between 6 people…

"Well, think of it this way. With my Sakura tree gathering up chakra in the day time for a whole month, I could easily have five my own chakra reserves right now. Not to mention I still need to build them up to how they actually are in the future."

"Those chakra reserves took you 5 years to build up. You're not going to do it in under 30 days." Hiroto's eyes narrowed.

"True, but I can at least undergo a year. Besides, who said you and Marika aren't going to be training as well?" Sakura smirked.

"And us too!" Himawari bellowed loudly.

"Yeah that's right… they're part of the clan as well." Sakura smiled.

Hiroto managed to mutter a sigh. "You know this plan is too crazy to work, right?" he questioned her sanity.

Sakura looked out the window slowly, gazing up at the stars in the sky. "I know… but there isn't much else we can do, now is there?" Sakura spoke mostly to herself, sadly as she closed her eyes.

* * *

The plan was simple enough to begin, but not as simple to accomplish…

"Come on, keep going." Sakura ordered, over lapping Himawari, Sayuri, and Daisuke for the twentieth time in the past hour.

Running miles

Really, how easy could this get?

To them, this was training.

To her, it was just a warm-up.

Afterwards she got Hiroto to work on Sayuri and Daisuke on Genjutsu, while Marika practiced with Himawari, and Sakura was left to serious training with Itachi.

_Intense Serious_

She hadn't really told Itachi what this was about, not that he was going to ask any time soon (he found questioning her often got her mad, and she nearly died the last time he got her mad…)

So they just trained…

And trained…

And trained some more…

All day in fact. When everyone came back to the Uchiha compound, they were tired, dirty, smelly, and exhausted. Yes, that included even Itachi.

Sakura hit the shower along with Sayuri, Himawari, and Marika, and then waited for the guys to finish their own respective ones, before going to eat at the dining table.

Unlike previous days, the dining table was not quiet. It was filled with joy and laughter, and some interesting conversations on Marika's and Mikoto's behalves (they found they had lots in common), while Sakura and Itachi mostly kept quiet.

Itachi just wasn't a very social person.

Sakura was just too busy with her own train of thoughts about the ritual.

'_As much as I hate to admit it, we're nowhere close enough to actually having enough chakra…'_

'**Don't worry, you'll get through this somehow…' **inner tried to cheer Sakura up.

'_Thanks…' _Her words weren't really that reassuring.

She hadn't heard much from Matsuro ever since she got kidnapped. In fact, the last form of contact she had with her was when she was trying to locate Sakura, and after that, it was as if she never existed in the first place.

'_Where's Matsuro-sama?' _Sakura was curious enough to ask inner.

'**She's trying her best to conserve energy and give you more time…' **Inner replied shortly afterwards.

'_What?' _

'**You see, it takes Matsuro-sama energy to stay within the depths of your mind, and speak to you. By cutting off the connection you two have, it conserves her energy.' **Inner explained.

Sakura couldn't help but 'oh' as she took a sip from her glass of lemonade.

All this was just too confusing.

And not to mention overwhelming as well.

* * *

Now, as Sakura lay on the roof top of the Uchiha household (it had become a habit when stressed, or when she couldn't sleep), too exhausted to do much of anything else that day, and began doing some math problems.

'_Now, the clan was abundant, but not as abundant as the Uchiha Clan… so let's say there were about 200 people giving chakra. Their portions would be less than a quarter. Let's leave it at a tenth, does that sound about right inner?_

'**More or less'**

'_Okay. So that would be the chakra of twenty fully developed and well-trained people… Now, as much as I hate to admit it, Marika barely reaches that limit. Not to mention I'm not that ahead. Stupid body.' _Sakura paused her train of thoughts for a few seconds to ridicule herself, before continuing.

'_How much chakra would the Sakura tree be able to gain in the months to come?'_

'**The thing you don't understand is that the Sakura tree is, in a way, infused with your body and soul, you can say. It only gains sun when you happen to be under it. Plus, the chakra absorption technique is a slow process. At most, you could get about five to six people from it.'**

'_What about Marika?'_

'**I'll give her two people. Himawari may be able to get one plus herself for a total of two people with her power, if she has activated the contract with her flower or not.'**

'_Hmmm… So if I make five, and my original chakra reserves already count for two people, then that's seven… Marika's ten, Himawari's twelve, and Hiroto's thirteen, and the other two kids make sixteen… That's four people short…'_

'**Damn it…' **Inner sighed glumly.

Kikyou didn't want to admit it, but they were in quite a pickle. Of course, there was a possibility that she herself may be able to help them out somehow. Her entire being was made out of chakra she had produced inside of Sakura thanks to the exchange between her and Matsuro. Yes, Kikyou had made a contract with Matsuro, because she had seen what the future would be like. That had been one of the main reasons she had actually taken her life, among other things. It had been to help Sakura in the future(that had been her ultimate sacrifice, along with never being with the one she loved dearly), not because of her depression state. So basically, she was an extremely condensed ball of chakra, mainly subsiding in the depths of Sakura's head, though when Sakura becomes immensely angry or allows her to, her chakra would be able to access the other parts of her body and control her.

Still… she couldn't give Sakura enough chakra to supply four people… Maybe one, but definitely not four…

Which left a remainder of three…

Oh dear.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

'**You need at least an average of three people's worth of chakra…'**

'_And making an offspring is obviously not a choice. The baby would have hardly any chakra reserves, plus there's not even enough time… Hell, I'm not even old enough… Stupid un-pubert'ied body.' _Sakura began mocking her body some more.

Oh, if only she had her old body back… maybe, just maybe, they would be able to make it…

Was this the end of the line for the Haruno Clan?

And if so, why hadn't she died a long time ago in her own time?

Inner had to explain to her that in her own time, Matsuro wasn't used at all –and certainly not even found. It was her after all he set the chain of events that altered her time so… Yeah, that was most likely it.

'_And not to mention that's the absolute minimum. To fill that up we would all have to practically drain our entire chakra reserves. Who's to say we won't all die in the process?'_

Sakura made a very good point. So…

"Are we really going to die…?" Sakura couldn't help but question out loud as she stared up at the full moon tonight. She knew if she were there, Tsuki would be mourning for her and her clan's fate as well.

'_Is there any possible chance Itachi, or let's say, Naruto and the Kyuubi would be able to give chakra?' _Sakura questioned. _'Or what about Taiyou-sama, or any of the other Gods?'_

'**Unfortunately, Matsuro needs a special kind of chakra specially found in the blood of Harunos'… that is why in previous generations, we were the only ones to give some.'**

Sakura growled in frustration. This was just too much! How was she supposed to know going back to the past would eventually lead to the demise of her clan? But who's to say Hiroto, Marika, and all the others hadn't already been dead in her own time? She was sure they would have approached her by then…

So, was her going back to the past an overall good thing, or bad thing?

Sure, she had prevented the whole disaster in Suna, but who's to say Yashamaru wouldn't try again… After all, it took several days to get to Suna, let alone get information from them. The only problem now was, since it was a different time period from when it originally took place, there's a chance he might succeed… or the outcome may be worse…

Okay, on to other things. Naruto. For one, he wasn't being picked on as much, and he had made friends (more specifically Sasuke, but nevertheless!) throughout the time he had been here. She couldn't really find any loopholes in that plan, considering she was in Konoha most of every day (with the exclusion of missions) and she could keep an eye on him daily. Not to mention it seemed that Itachi had taken initiative of protecting him whenever she couldn't.

Hmm… what else…

Well, for one, with her in the way, Orochimaru would most likely leave Sasuke alone, which she was indeed glad for. Well, she was sure he'd leave Sasuke alone if the Uchiha Massacre never occurs period. Now, a downside… he was probably obsessed with the Harunos' now, which left Marika, Hiroto, and the kids vulnerable… They surely couldn't fend off Orochimaru for too long if he was serious about capturing them…

And onto another point, the Uchihas' wouldn't become extinct! Well, that would be so if Sakura doesn't fail… But if she did, her mission would have failed, and she would have to return home, leaving Sasuke alone once again…

Overall, it was 1 good and 3 bads…

Sakura hated this.

She hated time traveling and all the changes it brought

She hated Orochimaru and his obsession for power

She hated Mist for killing her clan

And she hated Itachi for being insufferable.

Why was it she could grasp the reality that Itachi was a killer but still feel compassion for him? She knew he would in the future (if she failed) capture Naruto, and kill Kakashi, Sai, and Ino, and she knew he was the one who lead Sasuke through so much pain and darkness…

_So why?_

Sakura was still outraged with herself. She was well past knowing she liked Itachi, and maybe even more. She knew she had to accept her feeling, hell, _she did_, but that didn't stop her from questioning why.

She was eighteen.

He was thirteen.

It shouldn't be like this.

And what would happen if she did succeed? She obviously had to go back to her own time. And what was she to say? "Oh, hey Itachi. Secretly, I used a scroll to travel back in time to stop you from killing your family. Since I succeeded, I have to go back now. I love you, but see you in thirteen years! Oh, by the way, I happen to be you little brother's teammate, and used to be madly and deeply in love with him! Bye!"

Yeah, that surely wouldn't do, now would it? And what of staying here? As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't fit into this timeline. Sure, she could chill with Anko and Kurenai, but it wasn't the same as Hinata, Ino, TenTen, and Temari. She missed Tsunade and Shizune being her teachers. She missed waking up at home with her parents. She missed Naruto and Sai being her teammates… All those things she knew she could not live without…

This shouldn't have happened…

But thinking back to the vision she had had with Matsuro when she activated her Kekkai Genkai, she could clearly see that Naruto, Sasuke, and herself were about the same age. And Itachi was older.

That meant she went back to her own time…

Everything was perfect there… so maybe things could be accomplished?

Yes, that surely meant they would survive this Haruno ritual disaster, didn't it?

"You're going to catch a cold, y'know."

Sakura looked up lazily to see Hiroto standing there.

"Nah" Sakura half-muttered as she laid her head back down.

"Something's troubling you…" Hiroto stated, sitting down next to Sakura.

"Thank you Mr. Obvious…" Sakura said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Nevertheless, she smiled slightly.

"Care to talk about it?"

"There's not much to be said, even if I do tell you." Sakura muttered, her eyes closing for a few seconds.

"Don' let this clan ritual thing bother you. We'll be powerful enough to support Matsuro-sama in no time!"

Sakura sighed. _'If it were only that easy…' _Still, Sakura gave him a half-hearted smile. "Yeah… you're right Hiroto" she didn't want to tell Hiroto that with their numbers and capabilities, they were still short three people. Frankly, she didn't have the heart to tell him they would all die in about a month's time.

"Hey, what happened to 'Hiroto-kun'?" he stressed the endearment.

Sakura laughed. "I grew up, that's what happened."

"That gives you no excuse." He pouted childishly, though in truth all he was trying to do was cheer Sakura up. Eighteen or not, she was still his little cousin, and one who he cared so much for too. If this was the only thing he could do for her, so be it.

"Whatever you say Hiroto-kun." He teased him and got up, stretching a little. "Let's go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us."

And so they both exited the roof top and went to their separate rooms, where they each went to sleep.

* * *

**Somewhere Far Away...**

"Hmm, it's approaching soon, isn't it?" A mysterious lone figure on a large tree branch thought out-loud as it stared up at the full moon.

**End of Chapter**

**O_o hey! :D I got a sudden inspiration for this chapter so I began writing. No worries, I still plan to update Christmas with the Uchihas before December is up! (Hopefully, before Christmas arrives )**

**Anyway, yeah... so many mysteries in this chapter... Will Sakura ever see Kisame ever again? And if she does, will the be on the same side of the battle field? Will Itachi kill his clan? Will the ritual turn out fine? And most importantly, who's the misterious figure? O: I think some of the people who have been with me from the beginning might know ^_^, I actually got this idea from a previous reviwer _ColdAndDistant_** ... **now, if you really find the need to find out who the person is, then you can go search the reviews ^^ i wont say which chapter, because I still want it to be a surprise O;**

**Anyway, that is all for now. Thnx for all the previous reviews!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**


	26. Tag

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, excluding ocs **

**Chapter 26: Tag**

Though Itachi wasn't one to question Sakura's motives, after the seventh day straight of long hours practicing and training, he knew something wasn't quite right. And as much as he hated to ask, he had to know.

Maybe to get stronger?

That could be possible, but for what reason and why all of a sudden, after nearly dying? Perhaps it was the fact that she nearly died that she needed to get stronger, to prove she wasn't weak. That would work, if it weren't for the fact that she had her whole (remaining) clan train too. Maybe to get them stronger as well, if Orochimaru ever decided to go after them?

This certainly could prove to be a possibility, but Itachi highly doubted it. His main reason for doing so held a lot of logic to it too. Had she been doing all of this just for that, she would have told him up front about it.

Now, if there was anything he had learned about Sakura from the past two and a half months he had been with her, it was that she didn't hide anything.

_Any of the non-important stuff, anyway_

So for her to not have informed him of what she was doing, that in all meant it was a secret. Did she know she was acting like her ancestors? It seemed like she was doing it on purpose; staying in the shadows and making everything a mystery.

He knew it was unlikely for him to get any answers from Hiroto or Marika, so what about the children? The older of the three, Himawari, he recalled, seemed to know what was going on too, but she seemed smart (much like him), so he doubted he'd get anything from her.

Then there was the other one, Sayuri. He doubted once more; she was emotionally unstable, and maybe asking her wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. But the other one, the little boy, seemed less than interested in this whole activity.

Maybe he'd get information out of him?

He guessed it would seem suspicious if he began approaching the boy out of nowhere. Not to mention the boy would have no interest in talking to him, much like he had no interest in most of everything he did.

Really, now that he thought about it, he didn't have much of a choice. He'd just have to follow through and train with Sakura, and see how everything would go.

"Y'know, Uchiha over there is getting awfully suspicious"

Sakura turned her head to the left, where Marika was, using a kunai to cut apple slices, as she observed Hiroto's and Itachi's sparring session, and Daichi's and Sayuri's own a distance away. They were sitting down on a small piece of land in front of the training ground that curved uphill, perfect for a little pause from harsh training.

"Yeah, I know" Sakura turned back to braiding Himawari's hair, which had grown a little long over the short time they had been apart.

"So, how are you gonna make him unsuspicious?" Himawari asked.

"I'm not." Sakura declared. Marika paused for the briefest of moments from cutting her apples to give her a deranged look. Sakura sighed. "He can wonder why we're doing this, but it's not like he'll get anything from any of us." Sakura said. "Besides, he's known me long enough to know I don't let anything spill that I don't want to spill."

"Right…" Marika sighed, and then took an apple slice and handed it to Himawari, while popping one into her own mouth.

"Week one went well, if I do say so myself." Himawari changed the subject.

Marika snorted slightly. "Yeah, and let's just see how long we'll be able to keep up with this pace. You know, I woke up with my whole body screaming in pain and agony this morning because of the stunt you pulled yesterday." Marika narrowed her eyes at Sakura, who merely chuckled in response.

"You're just sore… you'll find running helps relieve the pain."

"Right… and as soon as I stop the pain will double tenfold." She rolled her eyes.

Sakura laughed. "Pretty much. You know, Tsunade-shishou had me do that exercise. Of course, when she did it, it was twice as worse." She began remembering of the fond memories.

"That must have been lovely" Marika said sarcastically.

Sakura ignored her comment, laughing to herself. "There" Sakura said happily as she finished Himawari's braid, tying it with a hair tie. "Now, get back to work." She patted Himawari's hair as she eyed Marika, who merely sighed in return, yawning, and getting up slowly, almost painfully.

"Let's go Himawari" her voice sounded pained as Himawari followed alongside her, twirling a small sunflower on her hand. Sakura got up seconds later, yawned and stretched as well, and then followed behind them a good distance away.

"Need some help?" Himawari offered Marika, ready to carry half her weight.

"No, no, I better get used to it now. That devil's gonna work us hard tomorrow, I bet." She narrowed her eyes and turned her head slightly to glare at Sakura. "Hey, and why aren't _you_ training?" she nearly bellowed out.

"Obviously, because the only one skilled enough to actually do anything to me is Itachi, and by the looks of it, he's busy beating up Hiroto-nii." Sakura smirked.

"Yeah, whatever." Marika murmured, letting a few profanities slip, and then going to another area to train with Himawari.

Sakura settled down on a nearby tree branch and watched as Marika and Himawari began training.

'_So Marika's flower specializes in poisons as well as medical sedatives, and Himawari's in…?' _Sakura asked.

'**Well, Himawari's is almost the same as Marika's. They are used for some medical purposes, but in general, it's used to extract toxins from the body.'**

'_Hmm, relatively useful.' _Sakura acknowledged. She would have been _great _for extracting the poison from Kankuro way back when (or again, way ahead when).

'**Still, it has a unique ability to track the sun and give you the precise time it will rise, set, or give you a specific point for any given time. It is said stems of sunflowers have the unique ability of following the sun with its stems.'**

Sakura nodded understandingly. Although not relatively useful in the battle field, if one knew how to use it, then maybe it would turn out useful. Hell, she was sure if she asked the Shikamaru of her time, he'd give her billions of ways to gain advantages with it. _'I don't suppose you have any specifics for Marika's jasmines, do you?'_ Maybe since inner had given her such wonderful and descriptive information about the sunflower, maybe she had a good clue as for the jasmines too.

'**Again, widely used for medical purposes. The jasmine buds are said to help cure skin diseases and eye disorders. That's the power of normal jasmines though. The unique ability given to Marika besides the instant poison, is that among more of the noted exotic features of the jasmine flower, it has many scents. Pleasing and mesmerizing fragrances, which might I add, entrance all.' **Inner was slightly leaving a hint. **'If Marika could properly control her flower, she could use the scents for most of anything. A good one used by many was for the use of secreting pheromones in the air… more specifically, **_**sex **_**pheromones, if you catch my drift.'**

'_Perfect for seduction missions and to gather information' _Sakura smirked, nodding her head in approval.

'**Yes, but that's not the only scent, you could say. Marika could induce poisons or sleeping powder into the scent, and much, much more. Still, since this technique in particular has many uses and is rather… handy, it is very difficult to master. I would say Marika will hardly get the chance to learn it because there are no other jasmine masters to actually teach it to her now.'**

Hmm

There was a lot Sakura had to think about. _'Our clan really did keep these secrets bundled up tight, didn't they?' _Sakura was beginning to get a sense of where she got her secret-ness from.

'_And what about my own?'_

It took inner a few moments to actually reply, she noticed.

'**Well, the cherry blossom tree, as you may have heard, only has a few days of blooming.'**

'_Yes, I am well aware of that.' _Sakura nodded.

'**Well, if you connect that fact to yourself, you'll understand that a child being **_**named **_**Sakura is rare; it is a beauty: delicate, and innocent. Still, this specific tree has many, many meanings, and in all truth, contradicts what is said to be known.'**

'_What?'_

'**Well, as I had stated while on the mission to protect Gaara, the trees usually give the wielder a longer life span, because they live for long periods of time. The cherry blossom tree actually has a **_**short**_** life span.'**

'_Does that mean I am to die early?' _Sakura frowned.

'**No, of course not' **inner quickly interjected. **'You see, there has been great controversy over this specific topic in our clan for quite some time. It has remained a mystery, mainly because the clan had been divided on the ****subject. For instance, half the clan elders would say that, and others would say another power the specific wielder would attain for making the contract.'**

'_And what's the other?' _Sakura quickly asked.

'**Like I was trying to say before you rudely interrupted,' **inner casted her a small sly glare from the corner of her eye before continuing, **"Others believe it stands for the exact opposite. To others, it stands for woman, and our femininity.** **And to our clan, obviously, the woman is the, I guess you can, say, man. It's a combination of power, dominance, sexuality, and feminine beauty. It's like… like the ultimate symbol of love and affection, and softness even, yet fierceness as well.' **Inner ended her speech quite nicely.

'_Yeah, I must admit I like the second meaning better.' _Sakura cringed.

'**This short life span your tree has, partly contributes to why it can't absorb as much chakra for you than the usual tree.'**

'_So… I'm a boring, plain tree who doesn't have any particular power?' _Sakura questioned. Maybe Kakashi had been right when she was a Genin. She was plain, with no particular skill. Basic. That is, for her clan, anyway.

'**Not entirely true. The short days of blooming for the cherry blossom tree, often known as Hanami, is a particular… good time, you could say. Though unknown, it is said the user can access a certain power. As to what it is and how it works, no one knows for sure. The Sakuras' people have known never used the power, for they were unable to for some reason or another. And the Sakuras' who have, did not mention what they did specifically, why they had activated, or how even.'**

'_Okay, that's pretty cool.' _Sakura cracked a grin. _'Just out of curiosity, do you know Kikyou-sama's power?'_

Inner could have laughed. _Of course _she knew Kikyou's power. **'Again, like most plants and flowers, it's used for medical purposes, most commonly to cure coughs and colds. Still, this particular flower comes in many, and I do mean many, different types. The power it gives the wielder is to make copies of themselves, you could say. These copies are untraceable, even by the Sharingan unless you are an extremely skillful one, and will not disappear unless told to by the wielder, or killed. They're particularly better than the regular bunshin because they do not take chakra, and because they don't disappear with immediate blunt force contact, like Naruto's.' **Kikyou explained.

Sakura realized that by the time she had finished listening to inner's wide knowledge on this certain topic, Himawari and Marika were well onto the fifth minute of their match.

Himawari was swift and agile

Marika was deadly and precise

Even though the victor was obvious, Sakura had to give Himawari her props. Not only was she about half the age of Marika, but she was also less experienced (she had barely made Genin, Shinobi rank wise). Himawari had even made it past fifteen minutes with Marika, even though she wasn't trying, which was a commendable job for a new Genin, fairing against an old and well-experienced and capable Chunin and all, maybe ready to take the Jounin exam.

After their match, Sakura set to work on patching them up, and then went to check out the battle between Hiroto and Itachi. Even though Hiroto had the upper hand with the surprise of Flower Style, Itachi held the overall verdict. After all, Hiroto's flowers were nothing compared to his fire… After healing them, Sakura went to patch of Daichi, for he had taken quite a beating from Sayuri, and then they all went to eat ramen at Sakura's beloved stand.

"One miso ramen please." Sakura nodded her head at Ayame, who, even though younger now, was still as kind and respectable as ever. They all ordered their respective meals, and then waited, having small conversation between Sakura and Himawari, and Hiroto and Marika.

Itachi noticed, with dull interest, Sakura and Himawari were rather… _close._ Which, in all reality, he found rather odd because she was half Sakura's age…

(Or, in any case, 12 years younger than the real Sakura right now)

He also noted, in dull interest, that once leaving the compound, all of them –besides Sakura, made some form of henge to alter themselves some way or another. Himawari, for instance, had changed her eye color to black, while Marika changed her hair color to blonde, also changing her eyes to blue.

It was then that he noticed they had particularly changed anything blue, green, and pink… and now that he did think about it, most of all of them had these in their eyes and hair.

Must be some clan thing, he concluded.

After all, nearly all his clan (besides cross breeds) had black eyes and hair. Yeah, that was most likely it…

He set this information aside for further examination later on, and focused as his plate was placed in front of him.

"Itadakimasu!"

He found it slightly odd they would all say that (his family never did, but that was kind of to be expected), but decided maybe they all had what one would call a _normal family._ Or maybe it was the fact that after experiencing something so horrific such as their clan annihilation, they all somehow felt closer together, knowing they were the last of their kind, as he guessed it.

Now that he thought about, it his father had been on a mission this whole week…

Itachi wondered how his father would feel after finding out his house was being invaded by not just one anymore, but by six Harunos. In fact, Mikoto didn't know either. All she knew was that Marika happened to be her sister. Frankly, she hadn't thought much of it having to house them. If they were anything like Sakura, then they would all be a pleasure of having around.

Besides… now she had _more _people to go pick up and drop off Sasuke!

"So umm… you've been awfully quiet, Uchiha-san…"

He looked to his right, finding the one called 'Himawari' staring at him with curious eyes.

He blinked twice. Why was she even bothering to socialize with him? Sure he sort of _was _housing her (he was the man of the house when his father was not around), and all her family, but in case she hadn't noticed yet, the only people he had associated with were his mother, Sakura, and Sasuke, but on a lesser level.

Still… she _was _only a child, about the age of Sasuke…

"Yes, I have."

"Is something the matter?"

"Nothing in particular" Of course, he left on the teensy detail of him frustrated over the fact that he could not understand why they were doing this harsh training. If they came to his house hoping for vigorous training, they might have hit the wrong house. Gai's was the complete opposite side of town.

Himawari cocked her head to the side in confusion, but said nothing in return. _'He must be like Sayuri.' _She concluded. Still… he seemed less cranky than her… She then turned back to Sakura, staring at her while she was laughing at something Hiroto had mentioned. _'How did Sakura, happy, emotional, wonderful Sakura, fall for…' _she stared back at Itachi _'__**this**__….?'_

No, she wasn't saying that Itachi was much too low (or high, for that matter) for Sakura's standards or anything but…

There was no compatibility! None whatsoever!

Well, at least that's what it looked liked at least…

"Himawari-chan, stop staring at me." Sakura snapped with amusement.

She wasn't dense. (well…)

Even if she had been laughing at Hiroto's stupidity, she had noticed Himawari staring back and forth between Itachi and herself.

'_Hmm, maybe Hiroto told them.' _She dismissed the fact that Himawari knew she… ah, _liked _Itachi. It was kind of funny… when she thought about her 'liking' him and all, she got this warm fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_Embarrassment_

_And __**butterflies**__, of all things_

It was funny because she hadn't felt such a thing since Sasuke had left. Or actually, if you include the four or so days she had liked Neji, since she was fourteen. And it was even funnier than she had fallen for a thirteen-year old.

Would she be her real age right now, this would be like statutory rape… except without the rape part, she guessed, since they hadn't done anything physical whatsoever.

'**Besides kiss…!' **inner chimed in giddily, almost.

'_So not helping…' _Sakura mentally rolled her eyes.

Sakura could understand where Himawari's confusion was coming from, she really could. _'Even __**I**__ didn't believe I liked Itachi at the beginning.' _Sakura frowned slightly, grabbing her chop sticks once more and devouring her food.

Still…

Sakura glanced at Itachi, and found him, oddly enough, conversing with Himawari.

Where exactly did they stand?

In their relationship, that is.

Not that there was any form of relationship.

Their relationship as in what type of bond they shared.

'_Yeah' _Sakura made up her mind

But back to the original thought. Where _did _they stand? Were they… like… _together?_ Itachi had made it clear from past experiences that he at least held attraction towards Sakura. Did he _like her_? Sakura would think so, yes. Did she like him? Obviously so. But… where did they stand?

In all honesty, Sakura couldn't even begin to describe what was wrong between their relationship. _'__**Besides **__the age difference, even' _Sakura rolled her eyes.

First and foremost, they both held many, _many_ secrets.

One being Itachi was hiding the fact he was killing his clan in a few months. (Though Sakura doubted he told anyone about that, of all things)

Another being Sakura was actually, in this timeline, suppose to be six, the same age as Sasuke, and that she was actually currently an eighteen year old in a twelve year olds body.

What else was seriously wrong?

Ahh yes, there were definitely some trust issues.

Frankly, Sakura didn't trust most of anything he said or did. No one could trust Itachi Uchiha.

And in some way or another, the feeling was mutual. After all, Sakura wasn't the most trustworthy person, appearing out of nowhere with only the Hokage to back her up. A Hokage who, mind you, held many, many secrets as well.

Everything in Sakura's description had fit well… too well, if you asked him. Her story was perfect and clear, yet held so many loopholes that could and could not be proven right or wrong because of the fact that everything relied on _clan secrets_, which no one had access to besides Harunos.

And if you asked Itachi, Sakura was _much_ too young to know any of them. Still, she _was _an ANBU, so maybe there was a chance…

But then again, he didn't _know _how the Haruno Clan operated, so, you see how once again he had just completed the same circle, just like that? Yeah, Itachi was irritated by the fact he could not fathom the mystery that was Sakura… Yet again, maybe that was the reason he had been interested, no, attracted to her from the very beginning. Because she, unlike every other living creature he had met in his entire existence, was a code he could not crack. And the deeper he got tangled in her webs of deceit and mystery, only proved to further drag him deeper.

And yes, Sakura knew all of this (though to a certain extent, and not about the whole attracting thing). She knew he didn't trust her. Hell, he had a good reason to _not_ trust her. It was perfectly logical and rational, two things of which a good Shinobi must have if they planned to survive.

And where Itachi was going (at this rate), he would need that.

Very much so.

"Himawari, I say we all leave in two minutes to leave Hiroto the pay." Sakura whispered suggestively, elbowing Himawari to get her attention, though she managed to grab Itachi's own as well.

"That's mean." Himawari frowned. "I like it" she smirked a second afterwards. "Why the sudden conspiracy against Hiroto-nii, though?" she whispered back.

"Well…" Sakura fidgeted slightly, playing with her fingers the same way Hinata was known to do under pressure. "I kind of blew all my money a few days ago on the ice cream for everyone." Sakura could have laughed, had she not been serious. Death by ice cream overdose (for her money, anyway) was a pretty sad way (and not to mention pathetic)to go, if you ask her. Ice cream was one of the most wonderful things on earth, yet it was the sole reason for her now deceased money, and ever growing starving wallet.

Itachi smirked, and Himawari laughed. "Sounds like a plan to me." She settled down slightly. "Is Marika in?" she asked.

Sakura snorted. "You know she is." From the other side of Sakura, Itachi could clearly see Marika and Sakura fist bump each other behind their backs while Marika kept Hiroto distracted, talking about some Yamanaka he once knew, or something like that he didn't really care about.

"Let's eat our share though, before we leave." Himawari suggested. "Hey, how about another bowl here!" she bellowed shortly afterwards, grabbing Ayame's attention.

"Coming right up cutie pie!" she replied.

"Sure have an appetite." Sakura snorted.

"I was never one to hold back when having a free meal. You know that Sakura-chan." Himawari smiled giddily. "How about you, Uchiha-san? Seconds?" Himawari once again turned his way.

He glanced at Hiroto for the slightest of seconds. "One bowl of miso ramen, please." He called out to Ayame as well, smirking. Still, he had to admit he felt slightly bad for Hiroto. Maybe he'd be kind and pay for his own share.

Ten minutes later, they somehow got the message to Sayuri and Daichi. With slight hesitation from Daichi's side (he was too lazy to run away and not get caught), Sayuri finally beat some sense into him (literally), and they all had it planned.

And in a blink of an eye, Hiroto found the, until just seconds ago, full stand, completely empty.

Oh, except for Itachi that is, who was standing up, rummaging in his pockets.

Itachi looked at him with humor as he tossed a couple of coins on top of his bowl, stuffed his hands into his pant pockets once more, and went on his merry way to who knows where.

As far as he could tell from the chakra signatures, they were all scattered. Apparently, they hadn't been able to tell everyone a certain designation point to meet up in.

"Oh come on!" he heard Hiroto's loud complain as he nearly rounded the corner.

Now… where to go…

He could sense this would, inevitably, turn into a game of tag. That is, as soon as Hiroto somehow found a way to pay for all that. From the tone he had heard from Hiroto, he was nearly, if not already, broke.

'_Someone's cleaning bowls.' _He smirked. Although now understanding Hiroto was of no threat to him (because of Sakura, that is), his dislike towards him had vanished, yes, but he had to admit.

It was _hella_ fun proving his superiority over him.

It had been about 30 minutes later when he had finally sensed Hiroto's chakra signature on the move, and also when the chakra signatures of said Harunos' vanished. For the time being, Itachi had mainly walked around a small park for a few minutes before situating himself on a park bench, staring at his surroundings. It wasn't until he felt Hiroto's own presence near, did he get up and begin walking slowly once more.

"I don't suppose you know where my _wonderful _family may be hiding, do you?"

Itachi, not turning back to face Hiroto merely stopped walking. "I have not the slightest idea."

"Right… And I don't suppose you were in on all of this, were you?" he questioned once more.

This time around, Itachi turned back just the slightest bit. "Hn"

"But I must admit, I do appreciate you at least paying for your own meal, plus some of Himawari's. I would have probably been in there half an hour more if you hadn't."

Itachi didn't reply, instead began walking away once more.

Hiroto merely sighed, placing his hands behind his head in a casual manner. "You got 30 seconds"

Itachi smirked.

"three, four, five…"

"Boo"

Somewhere in Konoha, a girl let out a high-pitched squeal, screaming bloody murder. Some worried villagers had reported this to the Hokage, but he merely brushed it off.

"It seems they're off playing tag"

"Itachi you prick!" Sakura glared, trying to calm her nerves.

Itachi leaned back against a brick wall in a random alley way as Sakura sat behind a dumpster, in between the wall. He was trying not to smirk but just recalling Sakura's face was making it hard to _not _crack a smile (or in his case, smirk). Seriously, her expression had been priceless.

"Hn" he hummed out slowly.

Sakura ignored him. "Were you followed?" she questioned, peering around from behind the trash can. Itachi gave her a look. A look that said 'seriously, you're going to ask that?' "Right…" Sakura chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Why the game of tag?" he questioned.

"Cuz it's fun." Sakura cracked a grin. Itachi didn't reply. That had not been the answer he was expecting. Seconds later, Sakura sighed. "I don't think all that training is good for the little ones." Sakura explained. "They shouldn't train so much, or else things may start to go… bizarre… I've seen in happen before…" Sakura was mainly referring to Naruto.

"Ahh" That had been more like a Sakura-approved answer. Still, in the back of Itachi's mind, he couldn't help but wonder… if they needed a break, why not stop all together? This just meant this was a requirement of some sort, and that they _needed_ to do this, for whatever reason. Again, he tucked this piece of information to the back of his mind to review it before he went to bed, and focused his attention back on Sakura.

"But really, you can't say this isn't fun." Sakura looked at him. Itachi quirked an eyebrow in response. "Alright mister moody pants." Sakura said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, you should live a little and have some fun. We're still kids Itachi." She gave him a small wink. "Shhh, someone's coming."

Itachi didn't know why, but something had possessed him to duck and hide behind Sakura, in between the dumpster and the brick wall, huddled together, tightly squashed.

_(Okay, maybe __**now**__ he knew what had possessed him: hormones)_

"Man, I could have sworn I heard something here." Hiroto tsk'ed. They slowly heard his footsteps fade… But seconds later Hiroto was jumping on the trash can, moving it aside. Sakura and Itachi were gone immediately, disappearing out of sight, going the opposite direction. "Man, now I need to chase one of them." He contemplated who he should go for… the thirteen year old scary Uchiha who could kick his ass, or the eighteen year old even scarier Sakura…

Hmmm, neither it was then. _'I have a better chance with Himawari or Marika.'_

This time around, Sakura wasn't as scared or shocked as before, as Itachi appeared behind her once again, this time hiding at a small clearing in front of the Hokage monuments. "It's all your fault." Sakura whispered. "If you hadn't made me scream he would have never guessed we were hiding there."

"If you had been paying closer attention, you would have sensed me, and not have screamed." Itachi countered.

Sakura huffed and turned away. She didn't need to take this from a _child._ '_Just ignore him Sakura.' _She smiled in victory.

"You didn't deny it."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched as she turned to look at him, an irritated expression on her face. "Are you mocking me, Itachi Uchiha?" she question with a stern voice, staring him down.

"I believe so, yes." He concluded, nodding with a smirk.

Sakura opened her mouth, flabbergasted, but then closed it, realizing there wasn't much she could actually say to him. So instead, she pouted and turned back around, crossing her arms across her chest. "Go find your own hiding spot."

She honestly couldn't believe she was playing the childish card again. She was _eighteen._ This shouldn't be happening to her.

"As you wish"

And once again, he disappeared.

"Good riddance." Sakura huffed.

It had been remotely fifteen minutes now. As far as she could tell, Daichi, Marika, and Himawari had already gotten tagged. So as she presumed now, it was Himawari's turn to chase.

She was also now hiding in the depths of the academy (now that school was officially done for the day).

'_There's no way they can find me here.' _She was cramped between some bushes, but her body, still flexible, didn't complain much. Now had she been eighteen, and not flexible, she would have already deteriorated the bushes, most likely.

"How are you holding up?"

She didn't even flinch as Itachi appeared on the tree branch above her, carelessly leaning on the trunk. He jumped down expertly shortly afterwards, and then walked over to her slowly.

"You're going to get us caught again." Sakura frowned, glancing at him for a few seconds before returning her eyes to the scenery, scanning it for any signs of Himawari.

"Sakura?"

"Hmm?" Sakura didn't even bother peering back to glance at him.

"You're it." She could feel his breath hit her ear as she felt his finger poke her right shoulder blade.

Her eyes widened and she immediately looked back at him, aghast. "You tricked me!" she glared, already up and ready to launch at him.

Itachi smirked, his smirk taunting her, almost as if asking her "oh, what ever do you mean?"

"There's no way in _hell _Himawari would be able to catch you."

"You're underestimating your cousin." Itachi smirked.

Sakura ignored him "So you have yourself up willingly, I bet." Her eyes narrowed. "Because you know very damn well you're the only one capable of finding me." She finished.

He didn't reply for the longest of seconds. "Ahh"

And as those words escaped his lips, Sakura had launched at him. Itachi had moved to the side gracefully, evading and missing her touch by mere inches. And afterwards, he quickly jumped up a tree and began running, just as Sakura returned to attack again.

Obviously, she followed as soon as she noticed him pump chakra into his feet.

Sakura was as fast as he was, and caught up easily. Catching him on the other hand, had been much, much harder. And Sakura knew when she did finally pin him down against a fence on top of a building, that he had let her catch him.

Sakura hated to admit it, but it she even were to kill Itachi…

Well, let's just say she _wouldn't _be able to.

He was stealthier than her

He was faster than her

He was stronger than her

He was more intelligent than her

Think about it, Sakura had actually been concentrating and hiding her chakra remarkably well. True, she wasn't doing it the best she could, but even neither Hiroto nor Marika had sensed her. So for Itachi to have done so, let alone _sneak up _on her...

It sort of scared Sakura.

The odds, even though she hated to admit it, were against her. Basically, the only upper hand she truly had was that she happened to be more experienced than him (living five years more than him), and happened to know more about him, than he knew about her.

Oh, and that she had the slightest advantage because he didn't quite know her Haruno techniques.

But what would experience do in this case? This was a battle between two heirs. Intelligent, powerful, skilled heirs.

What did _she _have that Itachi did not?

What was it she could use against him? To possibly stop him from killing his clan, maybe? Or if not even that, at least use to kill him?

In all reality… she had _nothing._

But as she cornered him against the fence, her hands on either side of his face, his mouth pulled into a big smirk, something hit her.

'**You're his weakness, Sakura.'**

'_No inner, you're wrong.'_

Sakura knew that as far as where they stood, she was just slightly higher than acquaintance. An acquaintance, who, mind you, held affectionate feelings for the other, and vice versa.

But Sakura knew full well too that this… attraction, wouldn't stop Itachi from disposing of her if she got too close or made it clear she knew too much. Itachi had never gotten close to anyone, that much was clear. So far whatever was happening to him now, was probably such a mystery, it probably scared him to some extent.

So what would he do to fix this fear? He'd get rid of her. Even though it would hurt him, some part of him would feel relief for no longer having anyone that would hold him back, in Uchiha talk. After all, friendship supposedly only held people back, as Sasuke had so kindly put it. So him, being an Uchiha and all, would only hesitate the slightest bit, but overall, because he hadn't known her for a long time, and because his attraction was a fear to him, she'd probably end up having the same fate as his cousin Shishou if she interfered.

'_But Sasuke…'_

She had sort of known on the inside, but she could not actually come to realize it, or accept it. _Sasuke was his only weakness. _Even though it was hard to understand, she knew she was right about this theory.

She _had_ been right before.

Itachi had saved Sasuke because _he cared too much. _Out of everyone in the compound, Sasuke was the only one he could kill.

No, Itachi had never hated Sasuke so much he wanted to put him through pain.

_Itachi loved Sasuke so much,_ _he couldn't bring himself to kill him._ This also meant he loved Sasuke so much, he was willing to sacrifice himself just so that Sasuke could 'exact his revenge' on him.

Sakura's hands clenched tightly into small fists, her eyes narrowing just the slightest.

That was right… when it came down to the long-shot

She meant nothing to Itachi…

'_As it should be.' _Sakura agreed, separating from Itachi, turning around, and walking away.

'**Sakura…' **inner sounded _sad_ almost, as Sakura walked away.

And Itachi was left there, confused, and deep down, disappointed.

Why had she walked away?

Why had she stared deep into his eyes and clenched her fists?

_Why was it he was disappointed?_

"Sakura?" He was alongside her in seconds.

She hadn't replied right away.

"Sakura" his voice this time around was more demanding and stern as he forced her to look at him by grabbing hold of her wrist.

"What?" she questioned ignorantly.

Itachi just stared at her. Sakura always knew what he was asking –what he meant. Now would be no different. She obviously just didn't want to talk to him, for she knew very well he wasn't a man of many words.

"Well then… I'm going to go tag someone." Slowly, hesitantly, Itachi released his grip on her. She watched him for a second once more before turning around all together and walking away.

"What are you hiding?" as Sakura neared the edge of the building, ready to jump off, he spoke. It was loud and clear, and confident.

Sakura chuckled, turning around. "What are _you_ hiding?" Itachi was taken aback by her words. "I'm not dense Itachi. Any time I get close you pull back. When I nearly discover who _you _are, you turn around and walk away. You're afraid." Sakura almost sneered. She didn't _intend _to sound mean, but it just sorta… came out like that.

"And you're not?" Itachi could have glared.

Sakura hesitated answering for a split second. "I am afraid." She declared. "But at least _I _admit it."

"Why are you afraid?" Itachi questioned. The way she made it sound… it sounded as if _she knew._

Sakura scoffed, but then clenched her fists once more, closing her eyes. "I'll tell you"

Itachi looked beyond surprised.

"I'll tell you." She confirmed once more. "When the month is over, if everything goes well." She looked down slowly.

There was a chance they wouldn't even make it…

So maybe she wouldn't even _get _to accomplish her mission.

"What goes well?" Itachi questioned.

"You don't need to know."

There was a long silence. "But in return, I want you to answer one of my own questions when the time comes." She looked back up.

Itachi hesitated only for the slightest seconds. "Deal"

Sakura then turned around and began walking away again.

'**Their relationship is so complicated' **inner shook her head in dismay, muttering to herself. Had Matsuro still been there, she would have agreed.

They liked each other, that much was clear, but the complications…

'**The complications!' **inner was rolling around the floor, grabbing her hair and pulling it out of her scalp. Seriously, it was going to drive her insane!

'_Put a sock in it inner.' _Sakura hadn't really heard what she had said, but she could hear a voice, and it was driving her crazy. Really, she was not in the mood to hear this right now.

Inner merely scoffed, as if saying she heard her, but turned her head the other direction.

'_No matter what way you look, you're still in my brain, I hope you know that.' _She rolled her eyes but said nothing else.

The game of tag was called off shortly afterwards when the sun began to set, and they all walked home individually.

Some time before nearing the compound, Sakura met up with Hiroto, and they walked together, engaging in some small conversation."It was nice to give them a break, Sakura." Hiroto said, giving her a smile.

"I suppose, though in all truth, it was training… just… funner." Sakura had actually planned it from the very beginning, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Hey, cheer up." Hiroto ordered jokingly.

Sakura gave him a forced smile. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Just then, they reached the compound, where Marika, Daichi, and Itachi were already waiting. They waited about three minutes later, until Himawari and Sayuri came together, and then they all went inside.

It was relatively quiet in the household this time around.

After all, there were many things on everyone's mind.

**End Chapter**

**Hmmm, okay… just thought the kids would be better off without training all the time.**

**Things are heating up now, aren't they? O:**

**Yes, the story is nearly ending, but there will be a sequel ;)**

**Ummm… on other news, starting New Sakura now,and Sakura's Heavenly Mistake afterwards… really hoping to finish it in 2-4 chapters… Also, I am rewriting the first who knows how many chapters. Really, I'm surprised my current readers are even up to date. The beginning chapters were horribly written and scary haha x.x.**

**Okay, that's about it!**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated!**

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**


	27. Time is Running Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 27: Running out of Time**

Sakura looked at her calender, crossing out the last day of the month.

August 31st

But if inner told her correctly, then Matsuro had given them a week's worth of spare time. But for them to be full on chakra by that time and have full-health, they would need to stop by the fifth day.

And if Sakura recalled correctly, Itachi had slaughtered his clan on October 23

**(A/N: Making up a randoming date)**

If they survived, it would be September 7th when Sakura confessed to Itachi.

And from then on, roughly 46 days until Itachi killed his clan.

Why did it feel like she was running out of time now? Oh yeah, it was because _she was_.

Breakfast was bitterly quiet that day, Sakura noticed, as everyone ate their breakfast quietly. She guessed they were all a little glum, of sorts. After all, a week from today... they would probably die... "Umm... Hiroto..." she began slowly. Luckily, Mikoto had went to drop off Sasuke, so they would not need to talk in _too much _secret, even if Itachi was there, eyeing her in confusion. "I'll umm... be visiting the Hokage today to catch up with him."

"What about training?" Hiroto nodded.

She looked at all of them, who seemed to be holding their breaths, awaiting the answer. "No training today." she shook her head slightly, sitting up from the table.

"Are you sure, Sakura-chan?" Himawari asked.

Sakura closed her eyes slightly, nodding as she opened them once more and looked at the people around the table. They couldn't take it anymore. They were physically and mentally exhausted already. They had given it their all -she couldn't possibly ask anymore from them. They were all still kids, after all...

Besides, she had other things to worry about too, besides the extinction of her clan.

The doom of Konoha.

_'Itachi...' _she couldn't help but outwardly frown at him (which he noticed). He nodded at her, as if reminding her of their promise a month ago. A promise, which, although top secret, she intended to keep. This whole month she had practically avoided Itachi. Hell, if anything, they had avoided each other.

How she felt on the inside did not go away though. Not one bit.

_'Unfortunately'_

She had told him she would tell him after the month was up. And the month was up. Today was the last day. Things seemed rather... _wierd_. Sakura didn't know how to describe the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. It was as if the end was near... as if everything came up to this one, final moment... Where everything would be decided.

And that would be within this week.

Yes, everything would be decided within this week.

* * *

"Hokage-sama." Sakura had knocked twice before entering his office, standing in front of him and bowing with respect.

"Ahh, Sakura, I haven't seen you in such a long time. You've been training."

"I have." she confirmed. "But that is not why I have come to you today." Sakura seemed gravely serious. It brought worry to the Hokage, to say the least.

"Well then, this seems to be important." the Hokage stood up slowly. "We should venture elsewhere, where I know we won't be heard... these walls..." he paused slightly as he sighed, "tend to have ears."

"Very well." Sakura nodded solemnly.

Five minutes later, Sakura found herself on top of the Hokage monuments, staring out at all of Konoha. Sakura cut right down to the chase. "The Uchiha Massacre will happen in exactly 46 days from now, if me being here hasn't changed too much." Sakura explained.

The Hokage grew quiet.

"But before that... I ummm..." Sakura didn't exactly know how to say it.

"Matsuro is running out of power, correct?" he closed his eyes.

Sakura looked up, slightly startled, but then nodded. "She has... the ritual... I don't know if we'll survive it..."

"I see..." The Hokage seemed less than pleased.

"If... if I don't make it... I want someone else to take my job and kill Itachi. I have come to realize Itachi has no ties to his clan, nor to Konoha. Not one important enough to make him stop, anyway." Sakura held back the tears that wanted to erupt because of her statement.

"And are you positive of this?" the Hokage asked, turning to her.

Sakura nodded silently. "Sasuke is the one he cares most for, and even that hadn't been enough to stopp him before..."

There was a long, long silence. Neither spoke, neither knowing what exactly to say. The Hokage merely stood there, staring out at Konoha, the village he loved so, so much. How could it be that it would be brought done from its glorious throne because of one simple kid? Because of one mistake... because of one injustice? "I am confident..." he began slowly, "that you will survive, Sakura." He said slowly. "So far, it seems like the Gods have favored you, let's pray it will be no different now." He looked to her once, and then turned back to Konoha. "I would like to believe your hard work and effort will not be in vain, Sakura."

_'I would like to believe that too, Hokage-sama.' _Sakura couldn't help but let a tear fall.

"When will your ritual take place?" The Hokage asked.

"I have until exactly next week, but I don't plan to have any more training. They're too tired as it is... I think the sooner we do it, the better... It'll give you more time to find a replacement to do the job." Sakura explained.

The Hokage shook his head slowly. "I won't need a replacement for the job."

"But Hokage-sama-" Sakura tried to speak, but she got cut off.

"There will be no need of a replacement." his voice was demanding and sure, as he looked up at Sakura, his hard eyes steady and calm.

Sakura looked deep into them, but could not find any form of hesitation, or doubt. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "Very well, Hokage-sama." There was no use arguing with a stubborn Hokage, no mater how crucial or serious the situation may be. In a way, he was sort of like Tsunade.

"By the way Sakura, I have a package for you."

Sakura had been planning to leave, but the comment made Sakura stop briefly, and turn back around. "A package? But I don't know anyone from this... timeline..." the truth dawned on her, nearly done with her sentence.

The Hokage merely nodded. "I planned to give it to you sooner, but you went off towards your mission, and then you were admitted into the hospital, and your whole clan thing, I thought it best for you to not be disturbed, or have the thought of home pressure you."

Sakura nodded, seeing hte truth in his words. Had she read her letter, she would have been reminded of how grave a mission this was, and how she absolutely could not fail. It would have made her push them harder... her clan, that is. It might have even made her attempt to take Itachi's life (and as she knew, die in the process)... Yeah, she did not need it at all.

Sakura stopped at the Hokage's office for a while, retrieving the package, and then returned back to the Uchiha Compound, where she locked herself in her room, and slowly began to fumble around with the string that kept the package closed. On top, there were three or so letters, which she placed to the side endearingly.

She opened the box, finding in it, a purple pillow, the saying "Always with you" embriodered in it, the names of her besties just under it.

If that itself wasn't enough to make her cry, then the letter sure as hell was.

She got a piece of paper and a pen to write, but nothing honestly came to mind.

She found writing something would ultimately prove to be useless. By the time they got it, she might be dead, and by the time she ever got a letter back (if she did get one), she'd be in the brink of killing Itachi... How could she possibly expect to tell her best friends that she had fallen in love with the man that ruined her life? The man that would attack Konoha and capture Naruto? The man that had caused Sasuke so much injustice in his life...

No, she couldn't possibly...

Setting down the letter and pillow, she picked up another letter, this one from Tsunade.

_Sakura,_

_I am glad to hear you are safe, and that this whole time-traveling thing was a success. I am sure you must be happy you came, finding you do actually have family, right? On to other pressing matters, it is good you are living in the Uchiha Compound, though one must really focus on the elders if we plan to figure anything out. I've been trying to pry information from the old bags for some time now, but they just won't spill the beans. Alas, they are hiding something, and that gives me a strong belief that they are up to everything, as I had told you before. Anyway, that is all for now. Don't do anything stupid, or Naruto would surely have my head._

_Tsunade_

Would she say she was, overall, happy she came? Sakura couldn't be so sure. This was all turning out to be more than she bargained for, even though most of the news she had recieved and changes had been pleasant. Her family was alive. Sasuke was happy. Lives were not yet ruined. But then there was also the down sides. She fell for Itachi. She had to kill Itachi. Orochimaru was after her. She probably couldn't go back to her time. If she failed, her life back in her real time was doomed. Maybe because of her going to the past, her whole family might die.

This was all a pain in the ass. Deciding that focusing on how screwed up this time-traveling experience was turning out to be was not the best choice, she let her mind wander elsewhere as she stared at the last letter, this one clearly containing Naruto's name on it. Excitedly almost, she tore open the envelope and immediately recognized the slightly sloppy and edgy, but stil legible hand writing of Naruto. Hey, you couldn't truly blame her for being excited enough to murder the envelope. This was the best friend that had saved her life countless of times, and always knew exactly what to say (even better than Ino) to make her feel happier.

_Hey Sakura-chan! Naruto here! Let me just begin by saying I am glad to hear you have been eating your ramen! And don't you worry about me Sakura-chan! Tsunade-shishou and Kakashi have me tied down and glued to Konoha! I don't think I would be able to leave even if I tried, believe it! But hey, you shouldn't be worrying about me! You are currently in who know's where (curse Baa-chan for not bothering to tell me where... maybe she knew I would try to go after you after finding out you were alone far, far away without me to protect you) on a dangerous mission. Sakura-chan, I know you hate being looked after, but please, I wouldn't be able to stand it if I lost you. And hey, if anyone is picking on you because of your pink hair or wierd forehead, just say the word and I'll give them a piece of my mind! Dattebayo! Just remember I love you a lot!_

The next few lines were extremely sloppy, Sakura was barely able to read it.

_S-rry Sak-ra-ch-n, Sai's try-ng to t-ke the let-r_

This made Sakura laugh. A few things were scribbled out and were random jibberish, until the letter skipped a couple of spaces and the writing style completely changed.

_Hey Ugly, you better come back soon. Dickless has been a real pain in the ass without you. He's always complaining that he misses you. I don't see why though. Not seeing your ugly face everywhere has been rather refreshing. Things here are better off without you._

The letter skipped a line or two more and there was a small sidenote in parenthesis.

_Was I doing that right, Ugly? The book I am currently reading talks about how when someone you care for dearly goes away, you should tell them everything is fine even if it's not, so as to not worry them so much. I really have been practicing on it._

Afterwards, the letter continued normally, switching between writing styles, it was a little hard to keep track of.

_Don't listen to Sai Sakura-chan! I only read the first part and heard he was already insulting you, so I thought I better stop him in his tracks. You are not, nor will ever be ugly! What the dobe is trying to say is he misses you a lot, and not just because of my constant whining, and we hope you come back to us safe and sound. Oh, and Kakashi says hi, he misses you, and he hates you for leaving him alone with the two of us. I don't quite understand what he means. We're a joy to have a round, right Sai?_

_Right. Kakashi is dellusional._

_Yeah, they are youthful young spirits, and are always a joy to have around!_

_Thanks Lee, your words are much appreciated, Believe it! Oh yeah, he says hi and he misses you too, Sakura-chan. Oh, and Neji says he hates you for leaving, because now he has to deal with "us two nuisances" (whatever that means, though Sai tells me it means bother... but that can't be true right?) every day. Well, I feel like I'm ranting on now, Sakura-chan, so I'll let you go... We're running out of room to write as it is._

_So, uhh, yeah, anyway, Stay pretty (ugly -Sai), and be safe._

_Naruto, Sai, Lee, and Neji._

_P.S. These two really are driving me nuts -Kakashi_

_P.P.S Everything has just become so troublesome around here -Shikamaru_

Well, that must have been one of the hardest letters Sakura had ever had to decipher in her life. So many different writing styles, and hardly any indication on who had written what. Luckily, she knew her men well (Lee, Shikamaru, and Neji not included), she she figured it out with a lot less difficulty.

Nevertheless, the words had made her cry. Or at least shed a few tears, at least. They truly did miss her. Even Neji, who she did not often talk to unless on ANBU missions with (they were usually the only intellectual people among the group), missed her and wanted her back, even if it was only to get Naruto and Sai off his back.

Somehow, Sakura had newfound determination. How could she possibly die and call it quits when there were so, so many people waiting for her safe return back at home? No... she couldn't give up now... at least, not without a fight. Sakura stared at the letter once more, before closing it softly and tucking it under her pillow. _'They're all counting on me...'_

With that las thought in mind, and an image of not only Naruto, but of everyone, all her friends and family, she exited her room, her confidence anew...

Yet, somehow, most of all that determination had vanished the second she opened the door to her room, and nearly ran into Itachi, who seemed about ready to knock on her door. There was an eerie, awkward silence...

"...Yes, Itachi?" she finally decided to cut the silence, somehow gaining a backbone in knowing even Itachi seemed slightly unnerved by the predicament. He didn't say anything for the longest of times. In fact, he didn't say anything at all... "Well then," Sakura's anger rose, "if you have nothing to say to me, please get out of my way." she tried to move past him, but his hand stopped her. "Uchiha." her eyes narrowed.

Maybe it had been the way Sakura's voice had sounded dark and dangerous, and hateful almost, or maybe it had been the way she had spoken his last name, not his first, but Itachi had been rendered motionless for the slighest of seconds.

"I plan to keep our deal, so move aside." Sakura literally shoved past him, somehow growing the balls she never knew she had. And man, was she nearly scared shitless when she did. She might look calm and collected, but inside, she was just inner turmoil.

He might as well kill her right then and there...!

Yet, surprisingly enough, Itachi didn't say, or do anything, or even breath, for that matter (not that Sakura was really paying all that much attention to his breathing, of all things). As Sakura began to walk away, Itachi followed. And when Sakura turned a corner, he followed, and when Sakura exited the compound, he followed. Sakura began to realize, once she entered the old Team 7 training grounds, that Itachi would not leave her alone until she told him. He had reached his breaking point.

Why exactly had she walked to the Team 7 training grounds though? For the most part, she had done it without thinking -she had been too preoccupied with her thoughts of Itachi. She had mainly been running away from him, hoping that he had, for the most part, only been following her because he was going to a location nearby, but that didn't seem to be the case, for he followed behind her calmly, all the way to the training grounds.

Now, as she stood, cornered by Itachi, she couldn't help but feel scared. Now that she thought about it, what was she to tell him today? She couldn't tell him she knew of his secret, because surely, he would kill her right then and there if she did. So, with a deep, nervous sigh, she turned around slowly and faced Itachi eye to eye.

He was passive and calm, and looked at her expectantly.

She was incredibly collected on the outside, and her eyes willed fire. "What do you think I am here to discuss about?" Sakura questioned. "Better yet, what do you want to know from me?"

It took Itachi a while to respond, but he did so anyway. "Why the training?"

"To build up our chakra reserves." Sakura answered simply.

"Why?" he questioned once more.

_Sakura_ took a deep breath, fighting the inner turmoil that was threatening to consume her. "In the past, every hundred years or so, the Haruno Clan would do this ritual," she began slowly, unsure of how to tell him, "in which everyone of age would give up a small amount of their chakra to replenish... our life source, you could say..." Sakura gave him a look that said "don't you dare ask what the life source is", which pretty much silenced him. "Now that the Harunos' have been nearly wiped out, there aren't enough people to give up their chakra, as you could probably guess." Sakura's throat stung a little as she remembered the Haruno Clan, and how lively it used to be with all its people, but dismissed it as she continued. "Once giving up our chakra, there is no guarentee that we will survive, because there is a high possibility that it will take all our chakra... To sum it up, there is a chance I, along with Marika, Hiroto, and everyone else, will die by next week." Sakura was calm and collected while she said all of this, searching for some sign of emotion in Itachi's face.

It remained void of emotions though, which Sakura should have expected. _'He doesn't care after all...' _

All Itachi did was stare at Sakura.

And all Sakura did was stare back.

"Was this all you were hiding?" Itachi questioned.

"No" Sakura confirmed. Itachi looked at her, seemingly interested. "But that will be discussed on another day, preferably some time after the ritual, if I do survive." Sakura began walking away, stopping once she was alongside Itachi, shoulders barely grazing each other. "Though, I should have you know, _I know_, and though I would like to have the benefit of the doubt, things don't seem to be going your way, Itachi."

And with that, she left, disappearing in a swirl of Sakura petals, leaving Itachi, for once, with wide eyes filled with shock, and maybe fear if one looked close enough.

_What exactly did she mean?_

What did she mean _she knew_?

Why were things not going his way?

And why would she want to give him the benefit of the doubt?

Everything pointed to it. Everything signaled that somehow, she knew, and if she knew, maybe there was a good chance that she wasn't the only one that knew. So who had informed her? Who had passed on the information? The only ones aware of it as of now, were the Elders, along with himself and Madara -but neither of them, he knew for a fact, would have bothered to share anything such as that to her, a measley little girl who held no real significance in the war for power that was threatening to spill over -after all, there were only 6 more Harunos' left in all of the shinobi lands, not significant enough to cause a stabilizing effect on it, like how the entire Haruno Clan did before they had been attacked. Especially when none were higher than Jounin level -besides Sakura, that is. Easily disposable if you knew the right people to take care of the job.

Things, he noticed, were starting to add up rather oddly.

Itachi lay on his bed, staring at his white ceiling intently, all the information playing in his head.

And not to mention...

He gripped his shirt, right on top of where his heart was located. This devestatingly emotional attachment he held to Sakura... what was to become of it?

Would he notify the Elders? Like he said, they were all easily disposable if one knew the right people. Sakura wouldn't live to see tomorrow if he did so, and he would probably be the one to be ordered to dispose of her. If she was talking about the same thing he was thinking of, would she try to stop him? Would he be forced to do something he really wished he wouldn't have to?

_'Sakura...' _his eyes lingered on a specific spot on the ceiling.

No, he decided suddenly. He would keep this to himself for now. Not just for Sakura's sake, but for his own too. Who knew what would happen to his mental and emotional state if something were to happen to her. Last time, seeing Sakura bending at Orochimaru's will...

It had nearly made him lose every inch of self control he owned -which was a lot, mind you.

Itachi closed his eyes and turned to his side.

Yes, he had no other alternative than to keep this to himself.

* * *

The day went by without the presense of Itachi, not even when it was time for dinner.

Sakura was beginning to worry that maybe he was scheming her demise. Maybe she had let too much slip? Surely there couldn't be too many things Itachi was keeping secret, could there? Well, there was no way to be certain, but then again, Itachi was a very, very secretive man

_'-boy'_, Sakura reminded herself sourly, before continuing with her original train of thought.

Who knew what could be going on inside his complicated, genius brain. Just thinking about it made involuntary shivers run down Sakura's spine.

Sakura decided that worrying about it was too much of a hassle and would ultimately lead her nowhere. So instead, she decided to focus on more pressing matters. Once dinner was over with, all Harunos' found themselves in Sakura's room, waiting anxiously, nervously almost, for the information Sakura had said she needed to tell them. They could only guess it was about the ritual.

"Well... I've decided to end practice already, so relax, you won't need to force yourselves any longer.

One could see Sayuri, Daichi, and Marika all relax slightly, their shoulders dropping as they exhaled. Yet, Sakura continued. "These next two or three days we will rest. Afterwards, as you can all probably guess, we will commence the ritual. There is no point stalling the inevitable, so we might as well get it all over with now." Promptly afterwards, all relaxed composure disappeared, turning back to those on edge. The silence grew, and grew, and still grew even more, before a tense atmosphere settled -an atmosphere, which, mind you, was gloomy, and held a sort of melancholy air to it.

This feeling of despair and hopelessness was rather reminiscent to Sakura, for she could recall hundreds of dozens of times she had felt the same way. Letting Sasuke slip from her grasp, Gaara being captured, being unable to help when she so badly wanted to, being the one person on the sidelines as the team fought off Akatsuki...

Sakura realized the only difference was that everyone was counting on her; they looked up to her, even if she _was _in a thirteen-year-old's body. She was the adult in this situation, and as such, she was the one who bore all the responsibility.

"It'll all turn out fine, don't worry." she smiled warmly at them, hiding the true conflicts in her head. She had to show them confidence and bravery, if she expected any of them to have it too. "I'm sure Matsuro-sama is watching out for us, even now." she assured them, eyeing them all, besides Hiroto (she had a feeling he of all people had a hint of what was really going on).

"Sakura-chan is right!" Himawari shouted anxiously. "We can't give up yet, there's still hope!" and somehow, it seemed, her excited shout seemed to lift the spirits of everyone else, for they seemed to have relaxed once more, having some spirit fill inside of them.

They began to laugh amongst themselves, and shortly afterwards, Sakura told the little ones to hit the shower, and then go to bed. Marika excused herself with them, saying she would help them bathe and make sure they actually _went _to bed.

And then she was stuck with Hiroto, who was leaning on a wall staring out her window. "Nice show you put on."

"Well, it's the least I could do." Sakura sighed, tossing herself on her bed as she moved her hands under her pillow, her fingers barely grazing the tips of the letters she had gotten earlier from the Hokage. "Besides... I haven't quite given up hope myself..." she murmured out loud, mostly to herself. How could she possibly lose hope? After everything she had been through in her lifetime, and all the people she had come to care for... she couldn't possibly give up now...

_'Not when they're all depending on me...'_

Hiroto didn't need to look at her to know she was determined. It was all in her voice, no matter how softly and calmly she had said it. This was, after all, one of the many fine attributes that made Sakura... Sakura.

"And that's enough to keep us all going." Hiroto flashed her a smile as he began exiting the room.

"Go get some rest, you'll need to save up energy." Sakura smiled slightly, watching as Hiroto kissed her on the forehead and then began exiting her room.

"Yeah, yeah." Hiroto dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. With a roll of her eyes, Sakura closed the door behind him, and went to bed as well, deciding that staying up any longer would only make her think about things she didn't want, nor needed to think about right now. It would only cause her to stress out, which would not be good, if she really did want to be completely ready for the ceremony that was to take place three days from today.

* * *

The next day was rather uneventful. Sakura spent the day walking around the Uchiha Compound aimlessly, wondering what she could possibly do. Having nothing to do made her mind drift back to the Uchiha Massacre that was approaching soon, and when she remembered that, the bottled up feelings she had tried so hard to supress this past month would slip, and she'd recall just how much she wished she didn't have to kill Itachi.

And because she was trying to save up chakra, she couldn't go work at the hospital, or get it some training to clear her mind. So she was pretty much left with cleaning the Uchiha Compound (which Mikoto wasn't against really, though she was worrying about Sakura; what could possibly be worrying her so much to make her clean everything?)

And Itachi... well, he was off at some Clan meeting with his father for most of the day, returning late at night, his usual emotional facade in place.

Things were... rather... _odd_. It was quiet and eerie, and not to mention gloomy, not that Fugaku and Mikoto took too much time worrying about it. They were busy people with many things on their plate, and when they did notice it, they didn't have too much time in asking about it (not that Fugaku cared all too much), having even more going on in his schedule than Mikoto, or Itachi for that matter).

When the next day came, not much changed, besides the fact that it was now a Saturday, a day to relax.

And Sasuke, being the needy child he was who hardly got any attention from his brother, turned to Sakura for amusement-

Only to find she had things of her own to do, for once.

"What do you need to do?" Sasuke asked cutely, watching as Sakura entered her bathroom, combed her hair, left the bathroom and entered her room to get her hair tie, and then reentered the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"It's something I must attend to with my clan, I guess you can say." she explained right before she put the toothbrush in her mouth and began brushing. No, today was not the day of the ritual. Tomorrow was. But Hiroto explained how they needed everything set up, and how they each had to know where to stand, what to do, and what to say when the time came, or else the ritual would not work properly.

Sasuke waited patiently for Sakura to finish rinsing, and then continued questioning her. "What do you have to do? Is there any way I can help?"

"I don't think so Sasuke-chan." Sakura patted his face as she reentered her room once again and searched for her gloves, sliding them on as she searched for her boots.

"_Pleeeeaseeee_ Sakura-neechan." he got in her way as she searched for her boots, but she easily picked him up and dropped him back down behind her, so she could get her boots.

"No" she rejected once more. Easily sliding them on, she began to calmly make her way to the dining room. Yet, Sasuke's little form speedily ran past her and stopped. creating a blockade in the middle of the hallway. Finding Sasuke was just being silly, because there was no way he could possibly stop her from getting anywhere, she just stood there expectantly with hands on her hips. "Sasuke, I already said no." she got a little irritated but she still kept her composure (there was no way she could frown at Sasuke when he was younger, because she had never been able to show a _mean _Uchiha any annoyance or anger, so why should a young, _nice _Uchiha be any different?)

Sasuke knew this as well, for as she stood there, he ran to her and clung onto her right leg in particular, clutching his eyes tightly as he buried his face on Sakura's calf. "I want to go!" he complained childishly. Sakura ignored him and kept walking, her right leg lifting up a little more cargo than the other. Really, was it he couldn't just stay here?

Perhaps it was the moment she entered the dining room Itachi was there, or perhaps it was the fact that she actually thought about it, but she instantly understood why Sasuke wanted to go with her so badly: Itachi didn't have time for him, and if he couldn't be with his precious 'nii-san', then he should at least have the right to spend his day with his loving 'nee-san', right? She looked back down at Sasuke, who still had his eyes clenched tightly, afraid that if he opened them he might fall of her foot or see Sakura angry in the face by him.

"Sasuke..." she furrowed her eyebrows. She deeply wanted to say no still; it was no place for him to be at, yet, why was it she had a growing feeling that if she didn't comply now, his whining would only get worse from then on? Well, maybe it was because she _knew _younger Sasuke, and knew how he usually reacted in these kinds of situations. With one last huff, looking down as she saw Sasuke looking up at her with the cutest puppy eyes she had seen from him yet, she released out all her air and let her shoulders fall. Sasuke knew nearly instantly what this meant; she had said yes.

He quickly jumped off her calf and then hugged her deeply. "Thanks Sakura-neechan!"

"Yeah, yeah." Sakura sighed. "Go get ready, and if you're not here by the time I'm ready, I'm leaving you behind."

"Hai!" Sakura was gone in a blink of an eye, not wasting any time. Sakura merely sighed once more as her eyes trailed after his figure. Sasuke was just too cute like this... It was such a shame that it might all change... no thanks to...

Her eyes wandered around the room until she caught sight of the very being who would ruin everything. _'Itachi...' _She couldn't help but frown and glare at him slightly, even though it hurt to even think his name.

In fact, it also hurt Itachi to see and even think of Sakura too. To think maybe he might lose her real soon... sooner than he had hoped for, even. He had hoped maybe their last few days together could have been pleasant, perhaps as a momento of the time they had spent together, so he could always treasure them, wherever he might be in the future. But no... apparently, fate had other plans and didn't want to give him this last, and one of the very few, greedy actions.

It was a shame, really.

But it wasn't like he could do anything about it...

So for now, he would just have to wait and see how things would turn out...

**End of Chapter**

**Sorry for the long wait you guys ! I finally have it up though !**

**As you can see, things are building up reaaaally fast. What will happen? How will Sakura manage to get herself out of this one? **

**All will be revealed in the next chapter, so stay tuned ;)**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated !**

**-Marzy-chan~~! :))**


	28. Haruno Clan Ritual Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 28: Haruno Clan Ritual Pt. 1**

"It sure has been forever." Hiroto had been the first one to break the eerie silence.

_'More so for me.' _Sakura thought to herself as she saw the entrance of a place long lost, but never quite forgotten; the Haruno Compound. It had been over 18 years since she had entered the compound... why, it had been too hard to even _think_ about visiting, let alone walk near there, so why would she visit?

"What is this place?" shy little Sasuke peered out from behind Sakura's leg to examine the entrance of a place he had never seen before.

"This is where we used to live, Sasuke-chan." Sakura looked behind her to give Sasuke a small reasuring smile, and then looked back up, searching for the small, now worn out sign that read "Haruno Complex", almost reminiscent of the times she enjoyed running around there.

"It sure is big! It looks to be as big as my home!" Sasuke exclaimed loudly. And just because he was still young and naive, he couldn't quite understand that yes, the Haruno Compound was as big as his own clans, and yes, it was meant to supply homes for hundreds, _not _for_ 6_ children. But he was still naive, and he was still a child, so one couldn't exactly blame him as it was.

So Himawari and Marika ignored him, and the younger two children did the best they could to not glare at the seemingly oblivious Sasuke. Sakura just smiled warmly, obviously hiding the truth behind that smile, and Hiroto just looked away, awkwardly standing almost as if he wanted to say something to Sasuke, but he couldn't.

After the awkwardness had subsided, they all walked in, slowly almost, as they tried to remember all the fond memories everywhere they went. Like the corner of Mrs. Tsutsuji's house, an old somewhat brutish old lady who had chased them out of her garden when Sakura, Himawari, and Marika had been picking flowers. And right under the pine tree not too far away from that house, where Sakura had watched Hiroto expertly climb the tree and save a poor little kitten with his "amazing ninja skills" (yes, Sakura had still been young and naive, and Hiroto had only been a Genin at the time).

With all the memories washing over her, she almost forgot what the purpose of coming was, let alone why she had never done so earlier in her lifetime.

_'That's right, we need to get everything ready for the ritual.'_ Sakura almost sighed bitterly at the thought.

Everything was eerie; still, silent. Dead.

The wildlife, namely the beautiful flowers and trees that once adorned each and every garden and street were all but dead, being over-taken by the weeds that the Harunos' had always kept under control. The houses were dusty, and if one really took the time to notice, you could still see the wreckage of the events that had happened such a long time ago, such as a torn roof here or there, and marks on trees, signaling a fight had occured.

For the sake of keeping Sasuke innocent, she picked him up and walked a bit faster, so as to not give his eyes enough time to travel to the houses, or give his curious mind time to ponder just _what _had happened here.

They all stopped under a tall oak tree, perhaps one of the only surviving trees left. "Marika, please stay with the kids, we'll be back shortly." Sakura had let Sasuke down gently, ushering him to stay alongside the other children and Marika.

Marika merely nodded in response, understanding why Sakura had said that; they hadn't been here in who knew how long, and they didn't really know what would be seen inside. Whatever it may be, it was better not to let the children see it.

But Sakura found, with mild surprise, as she entered the area where the actual houses were located at, that there was no blood, no bodies, no tell-tale sign of what had happened a long time ago, except for every now and then, when there was a torn roof, or piece of furniture, or things like that. And as she walked further along the estate, their goal being the center (which would consequently lead them to where Sakura once lived), the memories began flooding in.

That house, right off of that corner, where Old Lady Habaku lived alone with her cute little gray cat, where Sakura and Himawari had always picked flowers while talking to Lady Habaku and played with her kitten. And the maple tree across the street, where Sakura had once gotten stuck after trying to rescue a kitten. Sakura nearly chuckled at the thought. Her mother had to come and save her, after Himawari panicked and went to go call for help.

And that house right there, a small rusty little shack where Old Grumpy Gizu lived, who always chased Himawari and Sakura away whenever they ran across his garden. _"My vegetables! You just trampled over my vegetables, you darn, good for nothing kids!"_ she could almost hear him say it perfectly, even though it had been over 18 years ago since she had last heard or seen of him. Still, he had his kind moments, whereas once Sakura was running, she fell and skinned her knees. He had taken her in, bandaged it, and then given her some cookies as pension for being a "trooper" as he had called it (she had only cried for a minute, you see, even when the rubbing alcohol burned her little injury)

Sakura didn't even know it herself, but her memories were taking her to the exact place where they needed to go, and soon enough, they both entered an all too familiar household. Everything was clean, except for the small layer of dust that had surrounded all the furniture. Her own vision was replaced with memories, as she recalled her younger self running through these hallways merrily, always eager for a new adventure each day. Her fingers lightly grazed the wall, as she began walking, her feet taking her away, oblivious to her surroundings, and Hiroto long forgotten behind her.

_Okaa-san, why is Tou-san always so busy?_

On the steps right there, she had learned, right around the age of five, that her family was the head of the Haruno Clan, which came with many responsibilities.

_Okaa-san! I'm all wet!_

And the koi pond right outside, where she fell in and got all soaked, koi fish in her lap and all, flapping wildly because of the lack of water.

_Tou-san! Look, a squirrel!_

Where she and Marika had spent fifteen minutes chasing after a small squirrel, while their father and mother just watched whole-heartedly, laughing at their children's antics.

And soon enough, she found herself at the doorstep of her mothers room. Sakura almost hesitated opening the screen door, her hand just hovering over it, brushing it with light, feathery touches. She felt a hand on her shoulder, obviously being Hiroto's. She quickly sighed, closing her eyes, before opening the door, and walking in.

Everything was located exactly where Sakura last remembered it to be; her mother's hairbrush, laying precariously on the vanity desk, some jewelry and make up sprawled over the floor, the bed-sheets white and smooth, as soft as silk.

The only thing missing was the body of her mother, lying there, blood pooling from her abdomen, where she had been stabbed by the Mist-nin.

Sakura held back the tears that threatened to errupt at the thought, sniffling almost, and making a sound at the back of her throught, trying to clear her thoughts. _'I'm alright... I'm alright...' _she tried giving herself some supprt as she turned away and looked up at Hiroto. "Well, we're here, what now?"

"As you may or may not know," Hiroto began as he entered the room alongside Sakura, "Auntie Ayame actually activated the Flower's Eye Jutsu several months before the actual Massacre."

"Flower's Eye Jutsu?" Sakura looked confused.

"It is the particular jutsu that let's us see into the future, no matter how far away it is from occuring." Hiroto explained.

A thought struck her then.

_After all... Fate is with you_

Fate _was _with her. Her mother knew this would happen... she _knew _everything! "So... she knew..."

"Essentially, she knew that the clan would be killed, and who would survive. Truth be told, we don't exactly know to what lengths she saw into the future, but that is all beside the point right now. So, after having seen said future, she entrusted me with a mission..."

"To guide me..." It was all becoming so clear to Sakura now, as she sat down on her mother's bed.

Hiroto nodded. "She told me somewhere hidden in this room she left us details of where to go for the ritual, and how to do it. Only thing we have to do now is find that scroll."

Sakura was still too confused about things to fully pay attention to Hiroto as things began to settle in her brain. Her mother had forseen this day happening... she had known who would survive the massacre... she knew _everything_. So why not try to stop it? Why had she hidden the truth from everyone? Sakura had a feeling the reason was similar to that of Matsuro's: changing what would inevitably occur had its own price, which she could obviously not give, because what she was hoping to change was relatively _too much. _

All this time-travel and "seeing into the future" mumbo jumbo was just too confusing, if you ask Sakura.

"Come on Sakura, help me look for the scroll." Sakura had been snapped out of her thoughts by Hiroto, who was looking inside drawers and behind furniture for said scroll.

"No, no, no." Sakura shook her head. "ANBU members obviously cleaned up this place efficiently. It couldn't be located anywhere where it would be found too easily." Her mother was no fool. She was above all else, a bit of a genius if you ask Sakura, but that was irrelevant right now. "Look in hard to reach places, or places you wouldn't quite expect to find anything of important value."

So they began searching, even going as far as checking the floorboards, the ones creaky and fit enough to hide stuff in them.

"She told me it would be in her room." Hiroto sighed miserably.

Sakura looked around the room, recalling the fond memories she had here.

_"Okaa-san! Look at all the pretty stars!" little Sakura had ushered her mother outside, pulling on her soft kimono as she pointed up to the sky._

_Ayame nearly laughed her honey laugh in response, picking up Sakura fondly and appearing outside. "They sure are pretty, aren't they." Ayame agreed with her daughter._

_"I could watch the stars all night!" Sakura exclaimed. And so it had been. Ayame had jumped up on the roof and sat Sakura down as they watched the sky for hours and hours on end. Sakura watched in awe as a shooting star fell from the sky. "Look momma! A shooting star!"_

_"They say if you make a wish on one before it disappears you're wish will come true."_

_"Well in that case, I wish we could be together forever Okaa-san!"_

Apparently, Sakura hadn't wished fast enough...

Suddenly getting the idea, she ushered outside and jumped on the roof, Hiroto following her in confusion. "Sakura, what are you doing?"

"Check for loose tiles." Sakura merely instructed, getting down on her knees and one by one checking for loose tiles. It didn't take long, Sakura found, as Hiroto lazily walked over to a different area of the roof, but while doing so slipped on a loose tile, which went falling to the ground, a small scroll slipping out with it.

"You're a genius Hiroto." Sakura stated, obviously hinting a little amusement and sarcasm as she helped him up, picking up the scroll as well.

"Yeah, well, it runs in the family." Yeah, Sakura knew he was making a refrence to all the stupid stuff _she _used to do, but she ignored it for now, deciding that the scroll was more important. They quickly got off the roof, now sitting down outside, their legs hanging off of the wooden floorboards as Sakura slowly eyed the scroll, her finger tips just barely playing with the edges of the scroll. After a few short seconds, she pulled the scroll open.

_'A message from Okaa-san...' _her mind couldn't help but linger on the thought, but she tried to excuse it as best she could. Now was not the time to act like an emotional thirteen-year old girl, but rather a full-fledged eighteen-year old, one who happened to be the Clan Leader, mind you.

_Dear Sakura & Hiroto, (As a side note, Sakura was distictly amazed her mother had even directed it to the correct people)_

_It must be a while since you last heard from me, moreover for you Sakura. I know you must be curious and looking for some answers, and that you expect this letter to give you those answers, but I am sorry to say that all these questions you may have for me are for another day and time. For now, we move onto more pressing matters: the ritual. I saw this coming since the very beginning, knew what it would take to get here, knew the risks, the possibilities, and I write this letter to assure you everything **will **be okay, as long as you put a little trust in the Haruno name. But for now, I must explain to you how to begin this ritual, and where to find the items you need. Remember, this ritual is very precise, so it must be done step by step, exactly as I explain it._

And the scroll went on to explain in full detail where to go, and what to get, and what to use, with some very last words of encouragement to Sakura.

_Don't worry Sakura; we're all with you... We always have been_

Before going, they went to retrieve the little ones, Marika curious to know what they find out. "We'll explain later." Everyone returned to Sakura's house, Marika taking actions similar to hers. "The scroll said behind the wall of the hallway with the relics..." Sakura motioned to the left, and promptly afterwards a right, where they found a hallway. And the end of the hallway was a small desk, flowers, now dead, and candles long past burned, in front of a portrait of one of the very first Haruno Leaders. "So this must be it." she summed up, looking expectantly at the wall.

Hiroto quickly helped Sakura move the desk aside, so as to give them passage, as they began looking at the wall, looking for some form of tell tale signs that it somehow led to a secret underground passage, as Ayame had described in the scroll. With some prying around, she finally did it, don't ask her how, she just did, and the wall moved to the side, to reveal utter darkness, and a stairway leading how far done, no one was sure just yet.

Sakura and Hiroto exchanged glances, while the little ones, Marika and Sasuke included, stared in awe and a little fright. "Well, we better get some candles..."

* * *

"There was something you wished to discuss with me?" A shadowed figured peered up from his paperwork.

"Yes, I wish to take a short leave." an equally shadowed figure bowed in the presense of the other, obviously a leader of some kind.

The leader, is response, seemed a little surprise. "Some issue at hand?" he questioned.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Familial issues, you could say..."

"Very well, I give you a week. Don't let me down."

The shadowed figure nodded and bowed once more, before turning to leave, not uttering another word, her piercing blue eyes catching the dim light that shined into the room the moment she opened the door.

* * *

"What is this place Sakura-neechan?" Sasuke was utterly flabbergasted as he looked around the dark, attic-like space below them, standing on the stairwar next to Sakura, as she held up a candle. The dim-lighted room showed some boxes here and there, along with statues and scrolls.

"I don't really know Sasuke..." she answered honestly, as she slowly stepped down the stairs.

_Once reaching the bottom of the stairs, head directly straight, where you should see two statues standing side by side, and in between them a small wooden desk, a scroll laying on it with two candles on either side of them. On the wall behind it should be a scroll with a drawing on it._

Yes, she could distinctly see the tall pillars of stone in the shape of two oddly dressed things on either side of an old wooden desk. And yes, she could most definitely see the drawing her mother had told her about, drawn in an old-fashioned ink style.

She went up to it, and suddenly, the candles next to the scroll sparked and flames appeared on them, which spooked Sakura to no end, even though she didn't show it.

_You must take the scroll. In it is the encantations you must repeat in order for the ritual to actually commence. Be wary, because only the true heir can pick it up._

And Sakura was the true heir, so rightfully, she stepped up to the two human-like pillars, slowly peering at the scroll.

_To the left there is a passageway. If you follow it, it leads you to the heart of the Haruno Estate, the place said to be the holliest of sites -where Kikyou-sama took her own life. There is where the ritual will take place. There is a fire-pit there, which everyone should surround at the time of the ritual. You will enter wearing the traditional clothing of a priestess, Sayuri and Himawari tailing behind you._

And as Sakura thought back to the scroll, she could picture the ritual actually occuring -her wearing the formal white, with the red bottoms, her hair falling behind her, Hiroto, Marika, and Daichi already surrounding the fire...

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

It had taken them the rest of the day to prepare, moving this way and that, cleaning out the fire-pit, searching through the boxes to find the proper clothing for them to all wear, memorizing the scroll holding the encantation Sakura needed to memorize, and not to mention get caught up in all the memories they held here, Sasuke as oblivious as ever.

They returned to the Uchiha Compound grimy, sweaty, and with layers of dust on them, even Sasuke who had a few smudges on his face; he had decided to help out the best he could, even if it meant doing the silliest of tasks: it was all for his neechan. Once again, Sakura said nothing, and once again, Itachi refrained from asking, too many things being on his mind, and no one to answer them. He had to admit the feeling of not knowing, not being able to do anything was more than just infuriating... it was _excruciatingly painful_ almost. Never before had he felt so useless and powerless when confronted with a dilemma and now...

_What now _was the real question. What would he do now, if it came down to it that Sakura could not manage to survive?

He dare not think it.

He dare not think this may be one of the last times he would ever see Sakura.

He dare not think that she would no longer be living past this week if she couldn't manage.

And he especially, he dare not think that if it _were _to be her doom, that she would go down mad at him.

"Well if you would all excuse me, I'm going for a shower now." Sakura stood up politely to leave, pushing out of her chair and exiting the dining room.

Had Itachi been thinking for that long? He mentally groaned. What had his life come to, his hours spent locked up in his room thinking about Sakura, Sakura, and _Sakura?_ It felt almost like an obsession: something he just _couldn't _tear away from his mind, no matter how much he tried.

No, he wouldn't say that he loved her. Hell, he wouldn't even say that he _liked _her all too much for that matter, not even as a companion of sorts. She was aggravating, often loud, too wild for his liking, even when on the battle field (even though he didn't know that her tactics involved being wild), idiotic, wreckless, and just... plain _crazy_. Not to mention she was too mysterious (much like him), had a past he himself couldn't find out about, and had this aura of... hell, he couldn't quite explain it... Sort of like maturity, and knowing... but of course, that only came about whenever faced with a serious situation.

No, he definitely didn't like her. Hell, maybe he even hated her. Hated how he couldn't grasp the reality of it all. Hated how out of all people, he was excluded and kept in the shadows (well, at least, that's what it felt like to him). And especially hated how she made him feel... made him worry, made him fret, hell, he hated how she made him hate her, an emotion he hadn't really ever felt with the exception of his father.

Itachi didn't quite know when it was, but he found, the next time he looked up from his nearly untouched plate, that everyone was already gone, with the exception of Mikoto who was washing the dishes.

* * *

"Shhh, she's sleeping." Hiroto said as they peered into Sakura's room, only to find her body sprawled all over the bed, almost as if she had literally knocked out as soon as her body hit the bed (which, in all actuality, it did).

"But it's only 8:00" Himawari complained, but nevertheless nodded, and decided to walk off with the other two children to their room, to perhaps play.

"That is pretty odd." Marika acknowledged, staring at Sakura through the crack of the door. "But now that I think about it, she has been knocking out pretty early this past month or so..." Marika said.

"She grows increasingly weary as the days drag on... The only thing keeping her here, in this state, is Matsuro, and she grows weaker and weaker. Not to mention they are connected by a bond of sorts... Sakura will be like this until the ritual is finished." Hiroto sighed.

Marika frowned slightly. "Let's let her rest then..." Hiroto nodded and closed the door, walking away with Marika alongside him, as they made their way to their room.

* * *

Sakura bleakly opened her eyes, staring straight at her white ceiling. It took her a couple of minutes to register that it was time to get up, but even then, felt the need to just crawl back under her blankets and just doze off.

_'What time is it?' _The sun was already up, Sakura could tell by the way the light hit her shutters, and she angled her head to the right, where her night table was, along with her digital clock.

_'10:30? You can't be serious!' _Sakura groaned outwardly. She knew she had been exceptionally tired the past month, something she figured had to do with Matsuro being her only connection to this timeline, and her growing weaker, but she had, for the most part, always been able to wake up early.

Sakura rolled out of bed and tossed her feet to the ground, standing up and yawning.

(At the moment, it didn't occur to her that she felt a little taller than usual)

So, she promptly walked to the bathroom, locked the door, and screamed.

Marika awoke to an ear-splitting scream, which she instantly knew to be Sakura's. So, as any good older sister would do, she tossed the blankets aside, and, short night gown and all, raced to Sakura's room, bursting in there ready to kick someone's ass (no, she could hardly care that one movement of her leg at the right angle could probably show a lot)

"Sakura? Sakura? Where are you?"

"In the bathroom." Sakura's voice sounded panicked.

Marika, seeing that there was no official threat, put her arms down and walked to the bathroom. "What's the matter?"

"Are you alone?" Sakura questioned.

Marika's curiosity spiked. "Yes, I'm alone Sakura. What's wrong?" she questioned again.

"I have boobs Marika! _Boobs!_"

Marika sweat-dropped. "Yes, Sakura, the female population tends to get boobs around their teen years, you of all people should know that..."

_'Not like these...'_ Sakura thought in her mind, seeing as Marika did not understand the over-all point of her statement. She opened the door to the bathroom, where she promtply saw Marika wide-eyed.

"Y-You're..." Marika couldn't even finish her statement, and the next thing they knew, Hiroto and Himawari were also at the doorway.

"Older..." Himawari could barely finish, as she stared at Sakura, the previously enlarged shirt she had been wearing the night before now not quite as big, and round things popping out of the chest in particular, and the large sweat pants, frankly, small and tight now.

Yes, Sakura was back to heir eighteen-year-old self.

"We heard some screaming, is everybody alright?"

That voice was all too familiar to Sakura: _Shisui_. She may not have spent too much time getting to know him, or had hardly paid too much attention to him, for that matter, but she had seen him and Itachi spar quite a few times, and had even gotten to eat with them once. If there had been anything she could deduce from him, it was that yes, he was a player, but he was also extremely devoted to the Uchiha Clan, and goofy as can be. Not the brightest one in the bunch, (hell, maybe even a bit dumb, considering how most Uchiha's were supposed to be geniuses), but still pretty skilled to boot,at least, enough to make defeating him a challenge to Itachi.

But that was beside the point right now. Shisui was here, approaching fast... And, if Sakura presumed correctly, that meant that if Shisui were coming, that Itachi was too.

Marika did the first thing she could think of to stall, promtply turned around, and tackled Shisui to the ground (short night gown and all), blocking the entrance for Itachi to enter the room as well, which gave Sakura just enough time to jump on the bed and cover herself with the blankets, curled into a little ball almost.

"Do my eyes decieve me, or did an angel just fall from the sky?" Marika, not used to Shisui's flirtatious ways, blushed, quickly stood up, and then hid somewhere behind Hiroto and Himawari (she now barely took notice of how much clothing she was actually lacking)...

Shisui merely chuckled at the cute blush, before getting up, and dusting himself off, paying little attention to the other occupants in the room. "As I was saying... we heard screaming..." he looked around, searching for the particular person's scream he had heard. "Sakura?" he questioned, seeing her huddled under the covers.

"I... ughh..." she didn't want to even speak, as she now noticed her voice sounded mature, unlike the whiny tone it had been the previous night.

"Bad hair day!" Himawari shouted suddenly, grinning like a mad fool. "It's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand."

"A bad... hair day..." Even though Shisui was dumb, even _he _could tell that wasn't _nearly _a good enough excuse to shreak as if you were about to die.

"You see..." Marika began to play along, trying her best to cover up Himawari's lame excuse and make it a wee more believable. "She has a date today, and bad hair in the mornings it's... well, it's a bad sign, alright?" Marika put so bluntly, it almost sounded real.

Well, Shisui shrugged it off. Girls were weird, and he wasn't about to try to understand them any time soon. Especially not _them_, of all girls to choose from. If there was anything he had learned from those few weeks he had hung out with Itachi and Sakura, it was that she had a temper, was weird, and just plain _crazy_.

Too crazy for him, at least. "We're going out to spar, you wanna come with, Sakura?" he changed the subject, seeing as he wouldn't get anywhere, even if he pried.

"I'd love to but I uhh, gotta get ready for that date, sorry." Sakura rolled her eyes from under the covers.

Shisui merely shrugged. "Suit youreslf, what about you pretty lady?" he winked at Marika, who merely blushed some more, once again hiding behind Hiroto and Himawari, shaking her head profoundly.

"You guys better leave so we can help Sakura-chan get ready." and just like that, Himawari had somehow managed to kick all of them out of the room, Hiroto included, and shut the door on their face without them even realizing it (except for Itachi, that is). "The coast is clear Sakura."

With a sigh, Sakura peeled the blankets away from her and laid down, her hair now a frizzy mess, and a thin sheet of sweat on her forehead.

Well this had just become a little more complicated...

* * *

"But what if they turn on their Sharingan? They'll just _known _something's up! Especially Itachi!" Sakura panicked, now reverted back to the thriteen-year-old body, henge style.

"As long as you stay away from the training grounds and don't give him a reason to, then everything should be fine." Marika explained. "Besides, it's only for today, the ritual is tomorrow, and after that, i'm sure you'll be reverted back to your normal self. Afterall, Matsuro-sama will have her strength back.

Sakura supposed she was right, after all, she must have reverted to her original form because Matsuro's lack of power.

Well, it couldn't be too hard to do, she supposed.

* * *

The tension around the house only further increased as the day went on. By noon, Itachi was quietly locked in his rooms, the same brooding thoughts consuming his entire being.

The children were all tensely waiting around the room, half playing with a ball, half staring at it. Hiroto was staring at the clock, almost wishing time would magically stop, and Sakura was merely on her bed, reading a book, trying her best to conceal whatever emotions she truly felt on the inside.

When the clock struck 6:30, everyone sort of looked up.

It was time.

And as they all shuffled out of the room and out of the Uchiha Compound, Itachi knew it was time for him too, to leave.

**End of Chapter**

**First of all, I would like to, once again, apologize for such a late update x_x Been extremely busy.**

**And so, the plot thickens, and as one could probably tell, the story will end soon ^-^ But no worries ! The sequel will follow ;)**

**I strongly advise you all vote on the poll in my profile "Should Sakura stay in the past, or go back to the future" to know what you readers prefer ^-^**

**Anyway, I promise to update faster next time, I already know what exactly i'm typing up.**

**Next story to be updated will be: New Sakura, hopefully, sometime this week.**

**Until then !**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated !**

**-Marzy-chann~~! :))**


	29. Haruno Clan Ritual Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters!**

The fire cackled ominously, Sakura tantalized by the way it danced. She was trying hard not to think of what was to come. Sure, Yuri had assured her that everything would be fine... and surely, her mother wouldn't lie to her, but...

Sakura wasn't stupid. She wasn't naive, and she had learned long ago to not live off of someone's every word, and not to believe everything they said. (Everyone besides Naruto off course, because he had yet to fail her). Sakura knew they themselves didn't have enough chakra. Not enough without having most of them die, if not all of them, anyway. So how could this possibly work? Her mother saying "everything will work out fine" didn't actually mean "you and someone else will be the only survivors, but that's okay."

_So how?_

"Sakura, it's time for you to get ready."

Sakura was abruptly snapped out of her thoughts, looking up to see Marika staring at her. "Right... I'll be there in a sec" Still in her henge, Sakura walked tensely inside the Haruno Compound, where she promptly bathed, and was groomed to perfection by both Marika and Himawari, emerging from the estate now fully an adult, her henge long dropped.

Everyone was sitting around the fire, but everyone stood up once Sakura entered. The munchkins had their mouth agape, in awe.

No longer did a measly child stand before them. It was a leader... their _true _leader. Even Sayuri showed recognition to their leader, despite the fact that she had been nothing but rude to her ever since she had heard Sakura's name.

Her hair was silky smooth and ran down her back like waterfalls, slowly gliding past her shoulders. She was taller now, and had grown out of the childish body she had remained sealed in.

Yes, Sakura definitely took after Kikyou in not only heart, but looks too.

* * *

_'Practically the spitting image of Kikyou-sama' _

The shadowed figure eyed her from top to bottom. Yes, this _had _to be their heir -there was no mistaking it now. Her aura practically _screamed _that she was the all-mighty powerful heir that had been prophesied. But how? She was to be a mere child right now -she had seen the heir herself before the massacre had occurred, made herself memorize any and every aspect of her being. How could she possibly...? Her eyes darkened ever so slowly. There was only one explanation for this.

_'Matsuro-sama... you have returned to us'_

* * *

"Shall we begin?" Hiroto was the first one to break the awkward silence, Sakura saying nothing since she had appeared, who had been staring intently at something past his shoulder, somewhere within the bushes.

"Not yet... It seems we have a visitor among us." Sakura glared daggers at the random location past his shoulder. Hiroto spun around, as tense as could be. A visitor? But how... he couldn't sense anyone...

_'This chakra signature isn't familiar to me...' _Sakura tensed just the slightest bit, hiding the worried frown by biting the inside of her lip slightly. She couldn't sense anyone else around them, but... one could never be so sure anymore.

* * *

Itachi stared in awe, but moreover, shock.

_So this was what she had been hiding..._

No longer did he see a twelve year old girl. In her place stood a proud adult, eighteen if he had to put a number on it. His eyes darkened ever so slightly. He felt betrayed to an extent, for some reason. How was this even possible? He couldn't believe it; he hadn't heard about anything like this -didn't know something like this could even exist! But this was completely irrelevant. He had to focus. This was a mission, emotions _must not _get in the way, he kept reminding himself over and over, a mantra in his head by now. He had to discover what Sakura was hiding in order to discover what exactly she knew about him as well. If it came down to it...

_'She'll have to be eliminated' _he thought promptly, though the pain he felt in his heart was imminent.

"It seems we have a visitor among us." Itachi froze.

No, there was _no way_ she had sensed him. His chakra was hidden to perfection, so there was _no way _she could sense him, especially since she was distracted with the ritual. _The best time to remain hidden is when they aren't expecting somebody, after all_.

He visibly relaxed the slightest bit once he saw a figure enter the clearing, one which he did not recognize. No matter. Itachi had too much on his mind to even register how she could possibly be important, anyway. Seeing Sakura's body tense though, he could identify that she had _not _been invited, and may perhaps be someone who can prove to be a threat, by the way Sakura had hunched over, muscles tense, in a predatory manner.

So, as she did, his muscles stiffened, back arched. If Sakura may be in trouble, he should be on alert. No, not because he should protect her, but because if there was an enemy nearby, they would also be targeting him, he knew.

At least, that was what he told himself, and wanted to believe.

* * *

"Well, it was about time." Sakura distinctively heard a female voice, her eyes glued to a spot somewhere in between the trees and some bushes. Marika and Hiroto were shocked, having not been able to sense her at all until she spoke.

Sakura tensed ever so slightly, her hand inching towards the weapons pouch on her thigh which she found was simply no longer there. _'Curse this ritual' _she frowned in distaste, realizing she was in a traditional kimono (the top white, and the bottom red), no longer having any weapons on her being. There was usually never a time where Sakura _didn't _have some form of kunai or weapon. Nevertheless, she had her fists in case she needed them, and those had never let her down before.

The figure approached slowly, first relaxed and seemingly uncaring but still very poised, though she later began walking slower, shoulders slouched ever so slightly, her arms careless. Sakura understood what this meant immediately. She didn't carry herself as if she were ready to walk in a fight -_to kill_. Her muscles were loose and relaxed, meaning she wouldn't make any sudden movements soon, which made Sakura believe she wasn't of any real threat...

_-as of now, anyway._

Slowly, the more she walked, the more of her was seen. Slender, strong calves and thighs, indicating she was a kunoichi, one who took her training very seriously, Sakura could identify, by the way her muscles showed on her arms with just the slightest of movements.

-And then her face.

Wait... _'No...' _Sakura's eyes widened in pure shock.

"Sakura... Could she be..." Hiroto gasped, being the first one to register what they all saw.

"Yes, I am." The rest of her face appeared, bright blue hair and piercing ice blue eyes.

"A Haruno." Marika gasped, voicing out the question that hung in the air.

But that wasn't what had Sakura tied to that spot, frozen in shock _and _in fear. She wasn't just any Haruno... Sakura recognized her from her past (or her future, which ever you prefer, really).

Sakura didn't know what to think of this. '_But **how**?' _Sakura stared at the figure. How could it be? Hadn't she...

"What's your name?" Sakura began slowly.

The figure acknowledged her with a steady gaze. "My real name is Kaede, but what I go by,"

-Sakura held her breath.

"-is Konan."

* * *

Yes, there was no mistaking it now. This was Konan... _Akatsuki Konan... _The Konan in an organization after her best friend's head...

Frankly, Sakura didn't know whether she should inquire how she came to be in Akatsuki, or just kill her now. "You survived." Marika spoke in Sakura's place, and Sakura mentally thanked her, still too shocked to speak. "But how?" she questioned.

Sakura stared at Konan, noticing she wore no Konohagakure headband. "She wasn't from this village." Sakura spoke quietly, but firmly. The fact that no headband bore any part of her body meant that she was not born in Konoha, which cleared up things just the slightest bit.

"Correct, Sakura-sama." Konan quirked a small smile of sorts. Well, this girl was smarter than she looked.

"What? But how?" Hiroto questioned.

"My guess is, that she was conceived during the Second Shinobi World War in Amegakure by an Amegakure kunoichi." Sakura only had to guess. There was no way an impregnated Haruno kunoichi would be all the way at Amegakure. "So how accurate am I, Konan?" she had to refrain from showing malice while she spoke her name. She couldn't help it... anything that had to do with Naruto always sent her over the edge; made her want to punch something until it was an unrecognizable object on the floor.

"Correct again." Konan smirked, impressed thus far. "As my mother had told me before she passed away," Konan began, entering the clearing more and nearing herself to the fire. "She and my father had fallen in love, but the war had made it impossible for them to be together. Outo-san tried to smuggle Okaa-san out, telling her Konohagakure would accept her no matter what, but Ame-nin caught them trying to sneak out, and captured them. Of course, my father, being from Konoha, was slaughtered on sight. Mother was charged with treason and had been punished, but nothing that would have killed her. Soon enough, she discovered she had become pregnant, and lived out her pregnancy, but a few short years later, she passed away due to the war-torn country and the bad state in which it was in."

Sakura nodded, understanding. And this had been where she had met Yahiko and Pein, which shortly led to her meeting with the Sannin, she presumed. "Your loyalty lies with Amegakure, what are you doing here?" Sakura questioned quietly, although she relaxed slightly, no longer as tense or alert as before.

Konan gave the smallest of smiles. "My loyalty lies with my clan, Sakura-sama. It lies with _you._" Suddenly, she was on her knees, bowing to Sakura. "I sensed your presence, and felt the day of the ritual approaching. I found that now was the best time to reveal myself." she spoke.

"Well if you knew of me, then you also know that I am not from here." she narrowed her eyes.

"Certainly." Konan nodded, now standing on her feet. "The heir is nothing but a child, about the age of this one right here. She should be in the academy right about now." she pointed to Himawari, nodding in confirmation.

"Then you must also know that I know what you become in the future." Sakura spoke slowly. Konan nodded once more, her gaze unwavering.

Sakura looked at her with a strong gaze. Konan seemed to have no regrets about this, and Sakura was sure that around this time, Yahiko would soon be murdered. Would her resolve change, at all? "You were a part of our clan." Sakura spoke. "The day our clan was annihilated, you were here, weren't you? I remember the Hokage had never found the body of a sixteen year old ANBU -that must have been you... It was you, wasn't it? How'd you manage to escape?" Sakura questioned.

"Nothing gets by you, does it?" she smiled a pleased smile. Oh, their heir was a clever one, alright. "Once Konoha had found me in Amegakure and discovered I was a Haruno, they had demanded I come back. Obviously wanting to find out what my family was like, I returned." Konan began. "But this hadn't been home... It hadn't been the home that I was used to..." Konan trailed off.

"It hadn't been Yahiko and Pein." Sakura concluded.

Konan was only slightly shocked that Sakura knew of them. "Umm... yeah..." Konan sighed slightly. "So, I spent some time here, learning all I could about the Haruno Clan. Very prominent, very peaceful -nothing like what I had seen during and after the war in Ame. It's of no surprise than hardly any Harunos' took part in the war. It was nice here. I wished I could bring Yahiko and Pein here, to a world we had always wanted. I had told them about it -told them Konoha wasn't all that bad in reality. I constantly wrote letters to them, you see. Unfortunately, they wanted the same for all of Amegakure -they couldn't fathom just leaving their people behind." Konan explained. "I began doing missions, quickly rising in ranks to ANBU, no thanks to the training that I had received from Jiraiya-sama, our teacher during the time. Whenever I had spare time, I'd visit Yahiko and Pein, always asking how they were doing, bringing them food and gifts. I promised I would return to them, stronger than ever. And so when it was time, I ran away. It was merely a coincidence that it had been on that very same day that Mist attacked." Konan finished off.

Sakura nodded slowly, registering. Could she trust Konan? Something told her she could. She would be useful -she'd come in handy. She was powerful, she had ties to Akatsuki. But, when it came down to it, where did her loyalty really stand? This worried Sakura. Sure, as of now, her intentions were pure -no thoughts of Akatsuki or the tailed beasts-... but, if Yahiko died? What would become of her then?

Sakura parted her lips.

"Yahiko and Pein, or us." Sakura suddenly narrowed her eyes.

It took time for Konan to register what Sakura was saying. "What...?" Konan seemed shocked, for a second believing that Sakura was playing a joke on her, or something along those lines.

"Pick one." Sakura merely said, her eyes revealing nothing.

"Why?" Konan questioned.

"It's important you know who you will turn to when all goes to hell. When it's me or Yahiko... Who will you choose?" Sakura questioned, her steady gaze lingering on Konan.

"I can't choose both?" Konan seemed outraged and exasperated almost, seeing Sakura's serious demeanor and noting that there was no backing down from this question.

"They're Ame, we're Konoha. It's not possible." Sakura merely shook her head.

"But they're my friends! My _family." _Konan stressed. Sakura's gaze did not waver. "You can't possibly make me choose between you two."

Sakura didn't speak, expecting an answer. Konan was quiet, her fists clenched, head down. "Well, I refuse to choose between you two. Both are my friends and family. I will protect everyone I hold dear to me, I don't care what village they're from." Konan fiercely looked up to meet Sakura's gaze.

-And Sakura was perfectly fine with this answer, and it was the answer she had been hoping for. Hell, it was the answer she needed. "Well then, we welcome you." Sakura gave a small smile after a very long time.

"..." Konan was confused, her lips parted as she tried to make use of her vocal cords.

"Family or not, you don't know us." Sakura simply said. "Yahiko and Pein... they're true friends. They're looking out for your best interest... _they'd die for you_." Sakura explained. "If you were willing to throw that special bond away just to be with us..." Sakura paused slightly. "You wouldn't be worth having in our Clan, frankly. After all, those who abandon their comrades... they're worse than trash." Sakura smiled, being reminded of Kakashi.

Konan smiled slowly. _'This heir... she is definitely something, alright...' _

* * *

"Gods up above, hear my plea."

Itachi felt just the slightest tingles run down his spine as Sakura began the ritual. He felt light, weightless almost. He couldn't really identify what Sakura was doing, but the only thing he knew was that all their chakra was quickly draining, at a pace too fast, almost. What exactly was taking their chakra? Where was it going? Sakura was now on her knees, all the other Haruno Clan members around her. His Sharingan on, he could see all their chakra reserves quickly dwindling, slowly at first, but its pace increasing as time went on.

He knew something was up... Sooner or later, their chakra would run out. And what would happen when their chakra ran out?

_They'd die_

Sakura had informed him of this... but he still thought it too shocking to even fathom. What exactly was their life source? And it lived on through their chakra? And why only theirs? What connection did they have that others didn't? So many questions ran through his head. So many questions he _did not _have any answers to, and it made him want to uncharacteristically bash his head against a wall over and over again.

Why had it been _her _that changed everything he once believed in? Why was it her that he could not figure out, and why was it her that he hated so much, and why was it her that brought so much emotion into him, and _why_ was it _her _that could be the one to die right now, and he could only sit there and watch, feeling absolutely helpless? And with all these questions running through his head, all this _pain_ and anguish he felt on the inside, he just sat there and stared, and watched their chakra reserves slowly decrease and decrease feeling useless and pathetic.

But then, suddenly he felt something, and he almost had to widen his eyes in acknowledgement.

_Chakra_

All around them, in fact. It almost felt as if the Haruno Compound itself was _alive_, filled with chakra, at first just a little heartbeat, but it soon became a big thump he could almost _feel _inside himself. Yes, this chakra was _alive_, softly beating, vibrating... He stared back at Sakura, surely, she could sense it too, right?

* * *

Sakura didn't just sense it. She saw it, and she felt it, slowly pulsing softly, but then stronger and stronger until it was a firm thud that nearly pulsed to the rhythm of her very own heart.

What exactly was it?

The chakra seemed to erupt from the very same earth she stood, sprouting like flowers in all sorts of colors. Pinks, green, yellows, oranges, violets, blues... it was almost like a spectrum of chakra suddenly emerging.

But that was what shocked her least. The chakra soon began to form things... _faces... bodies.._ all of which complete with eyes and hair, and some of which, she just _knew _she recognized from somewhere.

"Haruno Clan members." Konan suddenly muttered, she being able to recognize more of them.

Of course, there was nothing else they could possibly be.

_'Their life's essence had remained here the whole time.' _Sakura was shocked. Yes, one by one, she could recognize some of them. The lady at the corner of the street, always sweeping, so young and beautiful -she had been expecting before the massacre, Sakura believed. And then the lazy jounin, almost like Shikamaru, always lounging around on some random tree. And then, Sakura had to hold back a gasp -her own parents, standing proudly alongside each other, their arms wrapped around each other.

Her mother hadn't lied. They had been with her this entire time... _inside the compound itself! _She understood now what they were meant to do. The remaining Harunos' all gasped, seeing faces they thought they would never see again. Sayuri especially cried out, seeing her mother and father once again -no longer would her last memory of her parents be of them mangled on the floor beyond recognition.

They all eyed each other, fascinated by what was occurring right in front of their very eyes. Slowly, the figures of the deceased Haruno Clan members began to blur once more, evaporating and reverting back into their chakra state, seemingly as fast as they had come. They seemed to float around Sakura for several moments, and then Sakura herself absorbed the chakra.

Sakura could faintly feel what they felt -remember what they remembered. It sent a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks at such intense emotions hitting her all at once, but she did the best she could to hide it.

With this, she knew, they would survive the ritual, with much more chakra than they actually needed.

With this, finally, her mind could rest at ease.

_This would not be the end of the Haruno line._

* * *

Sakura collapsed almost immediately after the ritual had finished. So much chakra had been sent through her: she had practically been a gateway to Matsuro, and having your body _used, _especially by so many, took its toll on Sakura.

Sakura slowly fell backwards, her eyes closing before she could even register what was occurring. The only thing she felt was her body tingle all over, and she could tell that her body was returning to that of a twelve year old's, what with Matsuro finally having her powers back.

_'Thank you, my child.' _she heard a soft whisper before she blacked out, Hiroto being quick to catch her before she hit the floor.

Itachi's gaze on Sakura hardened, his wild Sharingan eyes spinning. What _was she?_ Was she twelve? Was she eighteen? He could no longer tell. Had it been a henge, he would have noticed something. No, this wasn't just some transformation coated by a jutsu. Her entire body had changed; completely altered, as if she had been sucked from a different dimension. She was definitely twelve right now, there was no doubt about it, but she had definitely been eighteen just minutes prior. It was no trick, no illusion -his Sharingan would have seen through it if it were.

He just didn't know what to think anymore...

But moreover, a thought struck him.

_Sakura was alive._

And at that very moment he felt a whole lot of tension that he didn't even knew was there vanish all of a sudden. _She had survived... perhaps to die another day soon, but survive, nonetheless._

He didn't like the fact that he felt so relieved about it. He just knew he felt the urge to hug her -to _embrace her_. He hadn't felt such strong emotions since...

Since he first understood that Sakura was a beauty to not be taken lightly...

Nevertheless, today had been a long day. He should return before they noticed he was there, and ponder all about today's events.

* * *

"She'll be out like a light until tomorrow, I can assure you all that much." Konan quietly tucked Sakura under the thick blankets, her gaze lingering on her petite form. "Why exactly does she turn to a twelve year old?" Konan questioned, puzzled.

Marika merely shrugged. "It was part of her contract... with Matsuro-sama, that is."

"Ahh..." It made sense. Whatever Sakura was sent into the past for, it required her to be a twelve year old girl -now as to what that was though, Konan had no idea. Usually, with being a child, came being watched over with much care (especially seeing as she was a Haruno, and all). Then again, it probably had its advantages too: for one, nobody expected a threat from a little twelve year old with pink hair, innocent emerald eyes, and a flimsy body to top it all off.

"Are you leaving now?" Hiroto broke Konan out of her thoughts.

Konan nodded. "I should really be getting back to Amegakure. Yahiko and Pein are expecting me."

"Don't you at least want to wait until Sakura awakens?" Marika furrowed her eyesbrows. "Plus, it's late. You shouldn't travel all alone at such a dangerous time."

Konan chuckled. "I can take care of myself. Anyway, Sakura won't be up for a _while,_" Konan stressed. "I can't wait that long." she simply added up.

Marika was about to complain some more, but let it drop once Hiroto gave her a look. Family or not, Konan was her own person, with her own, _different _village. As Sakura had said before, she may have ties with them, but absolutely none with Konoha. They couldn't hold her up just because she was family. She had things to do, people to see, and places to be. They were no one to judge her for that.

And so, with a few goodbyes and promises to meet again in the future, Konan vanished, almost as quickly as she had come. Marika had walked her out of the compound, and Konan was left to idly roam the streets, walking towards a forest where she could quickly sneak out of the village undetected. Rounding a corner, she bumped into someone.

"Tch" she hummed in annoyance. "Sorry kid, I wasn't watching where I was going." Konan shrugged, and was on her merry way once more without giving any thought to who exactly she had bumped into, thoughts of home, Pein, and Yahiko filling her mind.

Said 'kid' merely nodded, and kept walking forward.

_Now at least Itachi knew what she looked like -for future refrences, of course._

* * *

Sakura felt warm -cozy. She hadn't had such good sleep in _ages_. Her mind no longer felt empty to nearly a mind-numbing level -it was filled for once... _whole._ (When had having Inner Sakura and Matsuro inside her head become a necessity?)

She didn't really care to know. All she knew was that she was alive, and it had never felt so good in her life before!

She suddenly remembered what had happened the previous night, and most importantly, about Konan. She got up quickly, perhaps too quickly than she should have, and ran to Hiroto's room, ignoring the fact that she was still in her pajamas, and it was late afternoon by now.

"Hiroto, quick, where's Konan?" she barged right in.

_'Maybe if I can warn her about Hanzo...' _Sakura thought. Perhaps everything could be avoided, and perhaps-

"She's gone already, Sakura..." Hiroto was only slightly surprised to see Sakura up already -she hadn't failed to surprise him so many times already.

"What? No! Why didn't anyone stop her?" Sakura was a bit out-raged.

"She said she... had to go... People were waiting on her..." Hiroto slowly said, a bit curious as to why Sakura was at her wit's end about this. "We tried to make her stay, but she just wouldn't budge..." he added as means to say that they did indeed try.

Sakura's hands balled into fists. "How long ago did she leave? Maybe I can-"

Hiroto cut her off. "She left immediately after we tucked you in bed, which was well over twelve hours ago. She's long gone now. What's this about, Sakura?" he questioned. What was so important about talking with Konan that would make Sakura respond this way? So... rashly?

"It's nothing..." Sakura merely shook her head, looking down in what could almost be regret. Hiroto quickly interpreted it into "It's nothing that I can tell you." But he was perfectly fine with that -Sakura was the heir, and he had to respect her wish, even if he wished to know what was going on in her head at all times. She had her right to secrecy, especially because there were things she just _could not _share with them, being from the future and all.

He could only presume that there had been some dire information Sakura had to share with Konan, for the sake of whoever. And because she did not get to do so, something may occur that Sakura had wished she could prevent. But all that aside, there was no avoiding it now. Konan was gone, her chance missed, and Hiroto doubted Sakura could just leave abruptly just to look for her, especially since none of them knew where exactly she was located at, except for the obvious location of Amegakure, not that it was safe for any Haruno to go far away from home all by themselves...

"Hiroto! Mikoto says it's time for dinner!" The silence was broken as Marika came through the doors. "Oh, Sakura! You're up." she smiled brightly.

Hiroto quickly noted how all of Sakura's troubles were neatly tucked away and she showed her a bright smile. "Nothing is bound to keep me out for too long." she chuckled lightly.

Same old Sakura... She didn't like others worrying about something that just couldn't be helped...

* * *

Sakura couldn't help but feel slightly dazed as she sat at the dinner table, hardly paying her food any attention.

_'Konan... what should I do about her?' _Sakura was deeply troubled. She knew she could count on Konan -she was loyal, she was kind, she was caring. But Yahiko's death... it must have impacted her a lot... To Sakura, it would be like losing Naruto, and that, she knew, would be the end of her if it ever occurred.

Losing someone so important to you tended to change people... Alter them until you are no longer the same person... She had seen as much with people such as Sasuke, Sayuri, and even herself, when she was younger. Fortunately, Ino had been able to help her out, but she was getting off topic now.

Yahiko would unmistakably die. Konan would unmistakably be heartbroken, and Akatsuki would unmistakably be founded and grow in deadliness as the years passed by. But the question arose: when Sakura commanded that Naruto not be captured, would Konan listen? Or would she insist that only by uniting the tailed beasts (and thus killing Gaara, Naruto, and all the other Jinchuuriki in the process) would come that peace that she so desperately desired?

She supposed only time would tell...

And onto other more pressing matters, she had to get back in focus to her original goal, the original point in traveling to the Uchiha Compound:

The Uchiha Massacre

Time was dwindling, and she had yet to discover the true motives behind everything: who was pulling the strings -who was the real person/people at fault? Who did she have to have the pleasure of killing some time from now, above all else?

So many questions, so little time...

That night, she lay on the tiled roof of the Uchiha Compound. She had missed the company within her head, and was much enjoying being able to argue with herself.

**'Top priority is finding out where the orders come from.' **Inner got straight to bussiness.

_'It's already known that it stems from the elders. They are the ones who had ordered the Massacre.'_

_'Now all we need to know is why.**' **_Matsuro had a point. It had previously been believed that the only possibly explanation was that the elders had merely faked the whole "coup d'etat", merely because they were afraid of all the power the Uchihas' had over Konoha. But, Sakura had been in the past for quite a few months now. She had gotten to understand a little about the politics in Konoha, which the Konoha of her time was unaware of at this given moment in time. Uchihas', all though mighty and powerful in their own respect, did not have all the glory they probably deserved, probably due to the elder's arrogance and stubbornness to admit that, yes, they probably were very successful because Uchihas' were just _so _damn great at doing their job, A.K.A killing by the hundreds.

She knew Fugaku. Obviously, he'd be angered -no, he'd be _enraged_. If the Uchihas' deserved all this glory, by his name, they damn well better receive the glory. There was bitter tension between the clans. No clan wanted to admit that any clan was any better/greater than any other -they'd like to think that their skills all vary from clan to clan, with different specialties of the sort, and all were as equally useful as the other. Of course, most of the tension was directed to the Uchiha Clan, all of which were too high and mighty to associate with any of the other lesser clans. They obviously thought themselves better, and they didn't hesitate to show it, too. And so, clans became bitter, tensions rose, and all the bottled anger and unhappiness was just _waiting _to implode.

So, theoretically speaking, yes, Sakura could see how the supposed coup d'etat could have actually not been a fake. Fugaku, among all others, could be bitter about the Uchihas' unjust name. They deserved better -more. Why not get more? It was quite easily accessible to them, after all. They had enough power, and a high-and-mighty Uchiha heir to boot, full with ANBU status and all, with a mere age of thirteen. It was enough to intimidate most into not standing in their way.

Sakura noticed, with much distaste, that this had all come to be because of the Haruno Massacre. It had inevitably led to the high tensions between all the clans, which, she knew, had led to the Uchiha Massacre, although she was not yet able to pinpoint if it was Fugaku's doing, or the elders.

Yes, Kakashi, of all people, had let her in on the little political game on one of their missions, although he merely hinted with amusement laced in his tone, and quickly dismissed the topic as merely a joke or game as Sakura began to understand what he meant. Sure, Uchihas' were mighty, powerful, and cocky not to mention... but then, opposing them was the Haruno Clan, equally as strong and skilled as their own members (This at least, Fugaku could not deny); equally as cunning, as witty, as powerful, and as beautiful. The only difference was that they did not care for status or wealth or glory, or any other silly little title like that. They cared for Konoha and it's people above all else, and wished for _peace_, a thought that always enraged Fugaku. After all, blood and war made a shinobi's life, which, mind you, was the whole reason for their existence.

_If they had an unbelievably great Kekkei Genkai, they damn well better use it!_

So... yes. The Harunos' had kept everything in balance: as long as they stood tall and proud, the Uchihas' dare not make a stand. Obviously, they would never be able to get the completely-devoted-to-Konoha Harunos' to join their side. In fact, they would fight them, she knew. And despite the fact that all other clans were bitter about the more powerful clans (A.K.A. Harunos' and Uchihas'), the Haruno Clan never insinuated that they were greater than any other, and in fact insisted that they all stemmed from a common sister Kekkei Genkai. This made everyone happy: at least someone they knew was greater considered them all equal. It helped to ease tensions.

Frankly, Sakura found this all, so, incredibly confusing, but at the same time _astonishing._ Who would've known that so many key factors played important roles that inevitably lead to the Uchiha Massacre? It wasn't just as simple as "One day, a boy named Itachi Uchiha felt like testing his capabilities, and so he did, annihilating his entire clan, save his brother". It involved all of Konoha's prominent clans, including her own, deceased one, as well as family problems (Itachi's void detachment from his own).

Frankly, it was overwhelming, and too much for Sakura to analyze it all in a mere ten minutes. Luckily, Hiroto made his entrance on the roof shortly afterwards, giving Sakura a much needed distraction.

"Hiroto" She greeted him with a nod.

He gave her a weak smile, and she motioned for him to sit next to her. He did as she told him to, and merely sat there, knees propped up in a similar fashion as her. He propped his arms on his knees, his fingers slowly fiddling with each other.

Silence ensued, not that either Hiroto or Sakura minded all too much anyway.

"...Sakura..." Hiroto broke the silence after a long time.

"I know." she smiled endearingly at the sky, letting herself lay down against the tiled roof. "It's time you all leave, isn't it?" her smile turned into one of slight disappointment.

Hiroto merely nodded, looking down at Sakura, and gently squeezing her hand. "It wouldn't be wise to attract too much attention to us... Plus... the main reason for having come here was for the ritual... Now that that's accomplished... there really isn't much of a reason to stick around... We can't keep the kids safe out here in the open." he explained.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Sakura sighed. "They don't know yet, do they?" she questioned. Hiroto merely shook his head. Sakura stayed quiet for several moments. "When do you plan to leave?"

"Perhaps in two days... Recover from the ritual, pack supplies, say our goodbyes..." he squeezed her hand gently with his own, and Sakura smiled at him in response.

"You do what you have to do Hiroto." she simply stated. "I've got my own fair share of things to sort out here." she sighed almost bitterly.

"I'll bet." he gave a small chuckle.

Another silence ensued.

"You know..." she drawled on, once more bring her knees up and she sat up. "I'll miss this." she leaned her head on Hiroto's shoulder, and he rested his own on top of hers.

"It's been too long since I could have a quiet, relaxing conversation with someone." Hiroto added on with a smile. Don't get him wrong, he loved Marika and Himawari and the little munchkins, but they were still children, young and in need of the loud, obnoxious happiness that would smother the void they now felt, ever since the massacre. He was more mature -more serious and thoughtful about things. He had to be; they relied on him as their leader for the time being. He didn't have too much time to idly laugh and play like the others, though he did indulge himself in the act every now and them, when it was no longer his turn to train the children.

Sakura merely chuckled in response. "Get to bed, kiddo. It's late. We have a long days ahead of us."

"Every day is long." he silently muttered to himself. Around Sakura, he didn't feel like the adult. He could be the child he should be, young and ignorant of all his troubles. He missed this, and he was glad that Sakura understood that he needed it, and had no trouble giving it to him.

"I know it is..." she almost whispered back silently, for the slightest of moments feeling misery bottling up inside of her, not only for herself, but for Hiroto as well. She didn't know when it had occurred, but Hiroto was laying down, head resting on her lap, as she brushed his messy black locks. He was quietly, silently crying small tears, and Sakura merely smiled a motherly smile, still embracing him.

She knew he bottled up so, so much. It wasn't healthy for so much pressure to be put on someone still so young. He was still a child; he needed to be treated as such.

"They said they love you so much..." Sakura quietly spoke. "That there was never a day they didn't look at you with such pride and adoration -and that they still do, from wherever up in the heavens they are..." Hiroto knew that Sakura was talking about his parents. "You and Himawari both," she continued. "They told me as much last night... Said you're doing a fine job."

Sakura knew he would be glad to hear those words. She could feel his muscles relax more, his tears flow more freely.

Yes, when one's parents die, one has the right to cry.

A right Hiroto never got the chance to have, because he had to put up the strong front for his peers: for his little sister, and for his little cousins, all of which now turned to him for guidance.

It was nice to let go for a bit.

**End of Chapter**

**So, that concludes the ritual, and all that good stuff ! Tell me what you guys thought about it? :D Next few chapters will be centered around Sakura discovering the truth, as well as Itachi respectively!**

**Again, I will remind you all that there is a poll which decides whether or not Sakura stays in the past or returns to the future. As of now, staying in the past is much more popular, but as a side note, I already have an entire idea for her returning to the present, and it would be much easier for me to write that version, for I already have a good idea as to how to write it :). Keeping Sakura in the past is a bit difficult to write, mainly because, no matter how much Sakura loves Sasuke and her Haruno Clan members, she still does not fit in with that timeline, and she seems to alter so many things the longer she stays there =o. Just throwing that out there !**

**Onto other matters, I'm going to start rewriting the chapters once more, so bare with me.**

**The next stories I'll be aiming for is New Sakura and Sakura's Heavenly Mistake**

**Anyway, any and all reviews are much appreciated !**

**-Marzyy-chan~~! :))**


	30. Conflicted

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Chapter 30: Conflicted**

"The Uchiha Clan grow stronger with each and every passing day."

"And along with that, their unrest."

"What is Fugaku thinking? He dare underestimate our power? What we are willing to do?"

"He's a fool if he thinks he can win."

Sakura hid somewhere on the ceiling, her Petal Eye swirling as she listened in on the conversation. It truly was a great thing that Sakura was a master at genjutsus, casting an illusion on herself so they could not see her, nor feel her presence, not that those old bags were skilled enough to do so anyway. Sakura could nearly scoff at the thought.

"And where does Itachi Uchiha play a role in all of this?"

The sentence caught Sakura's attention, and it made her snap out of her thoughts, and focus in back on the elders.

"Why, he's the centerpiece!" one of the shouted, almost with a mocking voice.

"Poor little Uchiha, so afraid of bloodshed and war. The Great Shinobi War sure did a number on him, that's for sure. Too afraid to even hurt a fly, if not for the better of Konoha."

"It truly is a shame, at least in Fugaku's part, that he could not count on Itachi being traumatized at such a young age. Such a strong, fearless son?" The elder paused slightly in mockery as he laughed. "Itachi Uchiha is nothing but a pathetic fool, hiding in the shadows of his mighty lineage." the words seemed to echo inside the nearly empty room, as it rang in Sakura's ears. She almost had the urge to jump down right then and there and smack some sense into all of them, not that any of that would do any good. She supposed, all the more reason why she should smack them around until they died.

"So what will we do with him?"

"Same as we have to every shinobi who falls at our hands and serves as a pawn. Use him. Fugaku would never expect such treachery from his oh-so noble son. We can't have our name stained crimson because of the Uchihas' idiocy in front of the villagers." one of the elders nearly snarled. "The Uchiha are hardly worth our time, and it does seem to me that their disposal is at hand."

"No one will miss him." a female elder agreed with the idea of using Itachi. "Itachi is but a one-man army, ready to strike at any given moment. He has no real friends, except for that damned cousin of his, Shisui." the woman was only enraged by speaking his name because they had previously tried to enlist Shisui as their subordinate (Sakura had learned just minutes prior), deeming him more filled with knowledge and perhaps more useful than Itachi, considering he was older. But of course, that damned Uchiha had to go and be _loyal _to his clan. _Pfft, idiot_. No matter, he would die soon enough anyway, along with his most beloved clan.

"No one will miss him? No one will miss _them_." Sakura could identify this voice as Danzo's, as he referred to the Uchiha Clan in general. "After the Haruno Clan was slaughtered, all the other clans have done nothing but argue and bicker about senseless shenanigans which only they seem to find of importance. God forbid a civil war start just because of the mighty ego of the Uchiha. Things will be better this way." he assured.

"I don't know... why not just turn in Fugaku for treason against the Hokage and Konoha? We have more than enough substantial evidence, no thanks to Itachi. There's no need to wipe out an entire clan because of his lunacy. After all, not everyone in the clan has to agree with Fugaku's actions, after all."

"Fugaku may be but one man, but he is the man with most power in this situation. He alone is all that is needed for two to spring up alongside him, and four to follow them, and eight to promptly spring up afterwards, and so on and so forth, until eventually, the whole clan stands alongside him. It is nothing more than a domino effect. Some may not agree, but they would quickly be silenced for their numbers would be too little to make any significant change, and they too, would soon be swallowed by Fugaku's influence. Any refusal would come from the females of the clan, but what importance do they ever hold on the clan? And let's be honest now, what Uchiha, or man in general, doesn't ever want more power? Yes... it is nothing more than a domino effect..." Danzo finished his paragraph slowly.

"And what about putting him behind bars?" another female elder questioned.

"How would you feel if your Clan Head was suddenly put behind bars?" Danzo merely stated, which made everyone quiet as they pondered his question. "The rage on its own might be enough to set off the very small fuse the Uchiha have." Danzo replied firmly.

There was silence, and as if signaled telepathically, they all slowly began to scramble, almost as if the decision had been clearly made and stated among them.

Itachi Uchiha would kill his clan.

* * *

So many thoughts raced through Sakura's mind, it was all she could do to just sit there, in front of the bridge, feet hanging off, as she stared through her reflection in the water.

_Poor little Uchiha, so afraid of bloodshed and war. The Great Shinobi War sure did a number on him, that's for sure._

_Itachi Uchiha is nothing but a pathetic fool, hiding in the shadows of his mighty lineage_

_Use him_

_No one will miss him_

_No one will miss him_

_No one will miss him..._

Damn it all, she would miss him! She hated it more than she knew she should, but she couldn't lie to herself.

_'I'd miss that bastard! I'd miss the way his presence is so comforting, and I'd miss the way his scent smells of ginger and spice, and I'd miss the way he smiles ever so slightly whenever he sees Sasuke, and I'd miss the way his shoulders ever so gently brush against mine when we walk, and I'd miss having **somebody **there!'_

It just wasn't fair. Sakura was not supposed to get attached. She wasn't supposed to harbor feelings for the _enemy_. For the one person, the _only _person she had not been allowed to get close to since the very beginning. Hell, even Shisui, or some other Uchiha would have been better than _him._

But she learned something, even if just a minuscule detail in this complicated web of deception and treachery, that made the world just a smidge brighter than before.

Itachi was innocent. He was pure, and kind, and so, so sweet. Or at least, that was what all the evidence was pointing to. She could never be so sure, because she still didn't know Itachi as well as she wished she did.

-Yet this only made it harder for her when she realized she _would _have to kill Itachi. No thanks to the old bags, Itachi would carry on with his mission thinking that he was doing good -that he was doing the only thing he possible could in order to preserve balance. And nothing would stop him, not even Sasuke. After all, Itachi never failed a mission, and he never failed to be loyal to the last -to Konoha, that is.

Every single action had an outcome, most of which being outcomes she didn't quite like, for it involved either the death of Itachi, or her permitting the Uchiha Clan to be massacred.

Oh, what could she do?

* * *

Mikoto could sense the tension.

She didn't say anything, nor did she make any indication that she could sense it, and kept her mouth shut.

It was best not to get involved, after all. What could possibly be going on between the two that could possibly cause so much awkwardness in the air? Mikoto had at first presumed just _teenage drama,_ built upon urges that one got once they reached a certain age.

_But boy was she wrong._

She could tell the tension stemmed from something more... something far more dire and important than some silly teenage drama, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. After all, what could _they _have to possibly deal with that would put so much stress on them? Mikoto could name a few, on the top of her head (Clan duties), but it was, by no means, relevant to Sakura, so she had nothing to base her theory on.

And so, she did what any good natured mother would.

"Sakura, what's going on with you and Itachi-kun?"

The question had startled Sakura, but she by no means found it _that _surprising. After all, Mikoto had, out of the blue even, asked her to go grocery shopping with her, something she had not done since she had first been introduced to the Uchiha household.

"What?" she decided to play dumb, feigning a shocked expression.

Unfortunately for her, Mikoto wasn't as dumb and squirmy as she let on. She had watched her son carefully, as well as Sakura, who she had grown to love as an almost daughter in the short time she had stayed with the Uchihas', and had noticed with much amusement, that Itachi had _changed_. Now of course, most wouldn't be able to note the change, but Mikoto was a good mother. Although she couldn't exactly say his attitude had changed for the _better,_ it had changed. He was a bit of a downer when Sakura wasn't around, and he was especially grouchy when Sakura _was _around. Which was, at least in Mikoto's perspective, extremely important, considering Itachi had never openly showed emotions such as displeasure when around a person. Sakura had made him open up, in more ways than one, although most were unaware of it, she was sure.

"Come on, I've sensed the tension between you two... seen the awkward glances you give him when he's not looking, and vice versa."

He gave her glances? Well that was new. "Look Mikoto, I appreciate you trying to intervene and all, but it really is nothing." Sakura tried to assure.

"Right" Mikoto seemed unconvinced, but she let the topic go. Sakura was a hard-headed girl: if she chose not to tell her anything, Mikoto knew it meant she would not get any information out of Sakura.

There was a small silence as they walked around the marketplace. Sakura stared at Mikoto distantly as she began inspecting some tomatoes. "Nee, Mikoto," Sakura began suddenly.

"Yes Sakura?" Mikoto didn't look up from the tomatoes.

"You love Itachi, don't you?" The sudden question made Mikoto momentarily put down the tomatoes as she stared at Sakura in bewilderment.

"Why, of course I love Itachi, what kind of question is that, Sakura?" she let out what could be a small laugh of amusement.

"And you'd do what's best for Itachi, wouldn't you?" Sakura continued.

Mikoto parted her lips, for a second finding herself at a loss, surprised by the sudden question. "I'd give my life for Itachi." she responded earnestly, without hesitance.

Sakura smiled softly. "That sounds wonderful... I miss having a mother who feels such strong emotions for me..." Sakura began playing the innocent child act.

At that very moment, Mikoto's heart broke a fraction of an inch as she mourned for Sakura. "Oh, Sakura...-"

But Sakura cut her off before she could continue. "But, all that put aside, I'm glad Itachi has a good mother who genuinely cares for him." Sakura spoke up. "He doesn't have many people, I've noticed, due to his lonely nature... someone has to have his best interest at heart, and I'm glad he has a wonderful mother doing just that." Sakura gave Mikoto a warm smile.

Mikoto was left there, once again, at a loss as she stared at Sakura.

"These tomatoes seem ripe, Mikoto." Mikoto had to suddenly snap her thoughts back to the tomatoes, as Sakura lifted up a couple.

"Oh, yes, yes, add those to the bag, dear." it took her a while to comprehend what Sakura was talking about, but she dismissed her troubles with a small smile.

* * *

Dinner had been relatively quiet, no longer filled with the small talk Itachi and Sakura would create, but more filled with the boring entertainment that Sasuke would put on with much oblivious-ness to everything else around him. As was the way of a child, after all.

Mikoto, who usually spent this time making conversation with Sakura or Fugaku, or even Sasuke from time to time, spent the dining experience thinking to herself. This silence was noted by none but Sakura, who did a mental cheer at sensing Mikoto's thoughtful-ness. Sakura had planted the seed. Now it was all left in Mikoto's hands.

_-someone has to have his best interest at heart, and I'm glad that he has a wonderful mother doing just that_

Mikoto felt a bit pained. Yes, it was true she loved her son dearly, but...

She had to be honest. She had been neglecting her duties as a mother recently...

_All for the clan..._

Itachi was unhappy, she knew that already. He didn't want the life that was being paved for him -did not wish for the blood to be spilled. That was Fugaku's dream, not his own. Ever since he was young, in fact, she could distinctly remember entering his room and soothing him. The death had always plaqued his dreams, and even now, she knew, he still had those very same dreams.

But what could she do? She was an Uchiha, and most importantly, she was a female.

They wouldn't listen to her... _Fugaku _wouldn't pay her any attention. Sure, he was her husband, but...

He was no longer the same person. Power and greed had consumed him -rage fueled him. He was no longer the kind and compassionate man she had first fallen in love with, eager to change the Uchiha Clan for the better. Mikoto had come to terms with this: she lived now only to raise her sons to be the great men she knew they could one day become. She was now nothing but a tool in Fugaku's eyes. She had served her purpose: give birth to an heir, a mighty one at that, and another son, this one he could hardly care for. As long as he had Itachi, it was all good.

It hurt, but it was true.

But... it was her son.

Her adorable, sweet, little angel.

She could still remember him as a child, eager to learn anything and everything in the most subtle of ways that he could possibly muster. He was always the ball of joy and excitement she awoke to every morning.

All that changed quickly though, once Fugaku decided it was time for Itachi to commence his ninja training, and soon afterwards, saw all the potential in him. Happy family moments soon dwindled, occurring less and less. The nightmares began, the cold shoulders from Fugaku shortly after that. She would see him less and less in the dining table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and she could hardly remember a time where she and Fugaku spent an evening together, doing nothing like they used to when they were childhood sweethearts.

She had hoped maybe having another child would change that.

It seemed the addition of a new child, cute little Sasuke, seemed to have nearly the opposite effect. Fugaku seemed to hardly notice his existence: he seemed inferior than Itachi, and Fugaku need not a weak child. Nonetheless, Mikoto loved Sasuke dearly, and she knew Itachi to feel the same.

Sasuke was living for not only himself, but for Itachi as well. Living the innocent life that had been stripped from Itachi's very own grasps before he could even do anything about it.

_'Itachi-kun...' _She frowned slightly, staring at his figure at the dining table. He was slightly hunched over, exhausted by the day's long list of errands, she was sure. She looked to her right, as always, the seat empty. It had to be about a week since Fugaku had last eaten with them. She could nearly swear the only time she would see him was in the morning, when he would shower and leave, and at night, when he would silently slip into bed alongside her, as she pretended to be fast asleep, though silently mourning the loss of a beautiful marriage.

Things could not continue.

They simply could not.

For the sake of not only Itachi and Sasuke, but her own, too.

* * *

That night, Mikoto stayed up late, waiting for Fugaku to return. At around 12:00, she felt him enter the household, and spend some time in the kitchen, most likely eating the leftovers that she had stored in the microwave for him, as she had been doing for the past week. Thirty minutes later, he entered their dormitory.

"Fugaku" she merely muttered his name as the lights turned on.

"You're still up?" Fugaku seemed slightly surprised as he went to greet his wife, placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"Yes... I've been meaning to speak with you..." she slowly began, unsure of what to say.

"You have my attention" he merely replied as he walked towards the drawers and grabbed some clothes.

It took Mikoto a few seconds, but she finally began. "How was the clan meeting? They've been getting longer and longer, they seem" she gave a small smile. She knew she was avoiding the real topic, but she had to do something to gain some backbone in the meantime.

"Yes" Fugaku agreed, "as the coup d'etat draws closer, it seems more plans must be discussed".

Mikoto frowned slightly, nearly flinching at the mention of the uprising. "Is Itachi still...?" Mikoto didn't know how to finish her sentence.

"The centerpiece? Yes." Fugaku talked about it as if they were talking about the weather, so casually it made shivers run up and down her spine.

Mikoto's fists gripped the sheets on the bed. It felt so wrong... how could she possibly see her son as a tool? As nothing more as something to help bring the clan to greatness? As not a person, but some robot for their use?

But Mikoto was decided.

She was first and foremost a mother, then an Uchiha.

"Fugaku, I!-" The urgency in her voice made Fugaku turn around, already freshly changed into new clothing. He merely stared at her expectantly, which made Mikoto all the more nervous. "I... I don't like this..." she paused for a few seconds to control her erratic breathing, before continuing again.

"Don't like what?" Fugaku questioned, his eyes narrowing just the slightest bit.

"_Any of this._" Mikoto had gotten out of bed now, and was standing in front of Fugaku. "Itachi shouldn't have to do this... he doesn't _want to_." she frowned.

"Well he has no choice!" he exclaimed. "It is his destiny to lead our clan to greatness! Don't you see it?"

"No, I don't!" tensions quickly escalated in the room. "Who are you to state what his destiny is? Itachi does not wish for this! Don't make him do this! Our clan is fine, Fugaku. People are happy, we live peacefully alongside the people of Konoha. Why ruin this happiness for more power?"

"The people of Konoha treat us like dirt!" Fugaku roared. "They do not appreciate everything we have done for them. They under-estimate us, they think we won't fight back! It is our job to prove them wrong! To put then in their place, and make them understand that _we _are their superiors, and that _we_ should rule over them!"

"I will not have yet another child live through this suffering! It was bad enough that Itachi had to grow up during a time filled with violence and death, but don't make Sasuke go through the same thing too. Please Fugaku, listen to yourself..." she approached him, placing her hand on his cheek as she searched desperately the eyes of her husband, looking for anything that could lead her to the man she once knew. "We were happy once, Fugaku, don't you remember? Before all the power, and the wealth... Just you and I"

His hand slowly crept around hers and enveloped her own hand in his as he desperately searched the eyes of his wife too. "I see now... that this is where the line crosses..." Fugaku frowned, releasing Mikoto's hand as it fell limply to her side. He then turned around once more, ready to enter the bathroom.

It was Mikoto's last hope. "If not for me, and not for Itachi or Sasuke..." she gave a breathy sigh before continuing, "then do it for the future of our unborn child." This had Fugaku frozen on the spot. Mikoto placed her hand on her stomach, and as she expected, Fugaku turned around slowly, expectantly, almost as if questioning Mikoto's statement. "That's right Fugaku, I am once again with child."

Fugaku said nothing for the longest of times, merely staring at Mikoto as she stared at him through teary eyes. "Trust me Mikoto, I am doing this for all of us. My mind is made up. You will see, maybe not now, but someday, that this is for the best. You will _thank me_."

_But for now... you are no wife of mine..._

And that was all it took to break the remaining pieces of Mikoto's heart, watching him as he turned away and entered the bathroom.

What could she do now?

She sank back onto the bed, one hand trying to desperately wipe away the tears, the other, gripping her nightgown, right above her belly.

* * *

Mikoto was pregnant.

She was pregnant! Holy cow!

A part of Sakura wanted to say she saw it coming, but no, she really did not. And as she knew, Itachi had overheard their conversation too.

_Just her luck_

Would he still feel the same about slaughtering his mother? She understood the burden that Itachi carried, and wasn't at all inclined on killing him now, after discovering the truth (he was kind and noble and brave, and it made Sakura not want to kill him even more than before), but what could she possibly do?

The Uchiha Clan, or Konoha?

She would obviously rather lose the Uchiha Clan in a heartbeat rather than Konoha in the future, but if that were to be the case, why had she even come to the past to begin with if she didn't intend to stop the Uchiha Massacre from occurring, or at least die trying? To get her heart broken? She'd rather not believe it to be so.

She couldn't simply tell Itachi to not kill the ones who wanted the uprising. That would mean letting him know her identity, and knowing him, he would dispose of her. Not only that, but she was sure that even he didn't know who wasn't particularly fond of what Fugaku was planning to begin with. Hell, she was sure not even Fugaku knew.

She couldn't simply just kill Fugaku: as Danzo had said, it would cause the whole thing to spill over into a war much quicker than it would have, had Fugaku still been alive, so that was quickly ruled out.

Let the whole scenario play out without doing anything, and hope for the best? Absolutely not. Sakura was not one to sit in the sidelines and watch everything unfold to begin with, tired of having done just that in her genin days. She refused to let herself be looked upon as weak while her friends and family suffered in the meantime.

So what could she do? Itachi seemed just too unreachable: so impossible of getting through to.

She definitely could not kill him now, knowing full well of his intentions. He was good. He was on her side essentially, with a few more complications, but nonetheless, on her side. All he wanted was peace for Konoha. The only issue was that Itachi was looking to the future -he was looking at the big picture. He would grow up as a rogue, resenting his life and all that it had become, hoping that one day Sasuke would be able to finish the job Fugaku had started: create a powerful Uchiha son, and destroy the remaining humanity there was left in Itachi.

The problem was, Itachi was not looking in between the beginning and the end. He did not take into consideration just how he planned on surviving until Sasuke was strong enough to defeat him, he did not understand that once everything was said and done, he would feel betrayed by Konoha and feel ties to only Sasuke in the end, leading to all the trouble with Akatsuki in the future, Itachi being the member after Naruto's head, and all. And he especially didn't understand just how immensely powerful he would become in the future.

Sakura was almost sure that Sasuke would never be able to carry on the murder of Itachi by himself, if Itachi were seriously trying. She knew his skill level -saw what he was capable of when he was merely thirteen, and knew that no matter how hard Sasuke trained, he would never be up to par with his brother.

Itachi, the brilliant prodigy, was naive in thinking he could plan out everything.

_(After all, he had never planned to fall in love either, had he?)_

Ughh, Sakura could swear she would rather just mindlessly slam her head against the wall repeatedly than think about it.

* * *

Mikoto was pregnant.

His _mother _was pregnant.

His sweet, loving, mother who had only ever sacrificed herself for him. She who had stood by his side through it all, who had taught him nearly everything he knew now.

His head felt dizzy as he took in the new found information.

Would it be another powerful boy? What about a beautiful baby girl?

No matter. It would have to perish before it even entered this world.

The thought troubled him. He had been given orders to dispose of anyone who stood in the way, and opposed Konoha. All the Uchihas'. But he had already made an exception: he would not kill Sasuke. He would never ever harm Sasuke, cute, adorable, innocent little Sasuke. But now... within his mother, there was another pure and innocent child, slowly growing. How could he rip the life away from it before it even knew what was going on?

How could he possibly be his father? How could he take away the freedom of someone so young and so oblivious to everything without even batting an eyelash? Before it even had the chance to fight back?

He would have probably been better off not roaming the halls in the middle of the night, _no thanks to Sakura_. It wasn't his fault he noticed Sakura had left her room in the middle of the night.

And now, because of her, he had yet another burden he would have to carry with him all his life. It was hard enough knowing that he would have to dispose of his own mother, the only one aside from Sasuke who had always believed in him.

Then again, he had lost the ability to choose his own path from the very beginning. He would carry out his mission, he would kill everyone, and he would move on.

_As long as Sasuke survived... _he simply did not care about anyone or anything.

Itachi had his own agenda to take into consideration, you see.

He knew the elders were using him. He also knew his father was a complete nut. He was not at all concerned about the fact that the elders were just trying to keep their name clean and were thus using him as a puppet to act out on their behalf. He was not at all concerned about the fact that his father was draining his very own life, slowly sucking out whatever ounce of restraint and humanity he had left. It was all about Sasuke, you see.

He knew for a fact that all he had to do to stop the coup d'etat was snap his finger. _Demand _his father to stop at once, for whatever reason it may be that Itachi decides to pull out of his ass at that moment. All high and mighty Fugaku may look and feel, but he was _nothing _compared to Itachi. Fugaku merely thought that Itachi was an obedient child who would bend at his own will if he wanted it. His father was nothing but a fool though.

Itachi could always simply just kill his father too: it wouldn't be uncommon in the Uchiha Clan to kill a member of the Clan Head in order to seek their stature -it was very common in the Clan driven by power, and was indeed how Fugaku was named head as well. Being the heir gave him even more reason to do so too -he wanted to be Head, and he wanted it now. He was smart, and could easily run a clan.

The Elders knew this too, but in their minds, everything would be so much simpler were the Uchiha Clan to suddenly vanish. After all, Itachi was a mere child, easy to manipulate now, but what about later? He would be the successor, being the clan heir, and he too, would be tainted by the Uchihas' idiotic ways. So to put it simply, it was best they just take out any and all possible threats now, including Itachi himself. It was killing two birds with one of those very same birds, essentially.

Of course, those old bags were too foolish to even recognize the fact that Itachi wasn't as idealistic and dumb as he lead on, or obedient, for that matter.

So why was he still allowing this? Why was he going out of his way to kill his mother, his father, his cousin, his aunt, his uncle? Why, when he "loved" Konoha, when he could save it and still remain a hero in everyone's eyes?

It was really rather quite simple.

Itachi served Sasuke first and foremost. Next was Konoha.

Because so long as the Uchiha Clan remained, Sasuke would still be tied down to their silly traditions and idiotic mannerisms. It wasn't about power. It wasn't about strength, or beauty, or intelligence, or wealth, as the Uchiha Clan always taught.

It was about love, and compassion, and friendships, and honesty, and _courage_. Most Uchihas' lacked even half of those qualities, merely hiding behind their noble lineage and powerful eye technique. The true Uchihas', the mighty, the brave, the loyal, had all but died out now, being too occupied by other things, such as power. With Sasuke, raised alongside the Hokage, he was sure he'd come to realize this, and grow up to be a great man. He would recreate his clan the way that it should have been long ago.

If his clan, along with their traditions did not end now, Sasuke would be tainted. He would grow up thinking unjustly, and Itachi did not want that. And because of this, he had to annihilate every Uchiha member, for they were all already tainted.

All besides Sasuke, and maybe his mother, who he had noted to be first and foremost a mother, above everything else, unlike many female Uchihas'. She cared, and she didn't want any of this "uprising" crap nearly as much as he.

-Which made everything all the more confusing.

_What about the child?_

Itachi had come to terms with the fact that he would have to kill his mother. He was sure now, after hearing her, that she would completely understand why he was doing it. But now there was another child in the picture, slowly growing inside of her.

_His little brother_

_His little sister_

He could not simply kill his mother, but not the unborn child living within her.

-And frankly, what made Sasuke any different than the child that was to be? He was sure that, given the time to, the little baby would grow up to be just as wonderful and adorable as Sasuke was, and perhaps, without Fugaku and the Uchiha Clan in the picture, it would be even better...

But... what if he was wrong? What if Mikoto didn't understand? What if she grew up resenting Itachi, and herself turned into the very Uchiha that Itachi was trying to keep away from Sasuke? Initially, that had been Itachi's sole fear, which had been the reason why he had decided to include Mikoto in his plans. But now he felt conflicted. There was another life -yet another person's blood which he would have to carry, and this one, he was not so sure he could bare.

Could he handle that responsibility?

It wasn't so much another head to count, as much as it was the purity of the soul that bothered Itachi greatly.

-As he felt about every other child he had to murder, but this was different.

It was _his _brother. _His _sister. _His._

Even though it had yet to be born, he already felt responsible for it. It was his duty as the older brother to look out for it, after all.

Then again, maybe it would be for the best to not allow someone to be brought into this world. Not in this particular case, at least. The Uchiha Clan was a mess, and it would remain as such until Sasuke was old enough to take responsibility and take over what was rightfully his. So, maybe it was best another Uchiha child not be born until then, when Sasuke is able to take charge of his life and begin reconstructing it.

Decisions, decisions...

But then a thought occurred to him.

If he had heard Mikoto and Fugaku's argument... had Sakura? In fact, he couldn't quite remember where exactly she had been located when he overheard his parents.

Considering he hadn't already been confronted by Sakura, this meant one of two things: either Sakura did not in fact hear, or she heard, but already knew, which he really hoped was not the case. After all, he did not quite understand Sakura's role in this entire scheme, and if it were up to him, she'd be left out of it. But unfortunately, that could not be the case. She had gotten involved the moment his feelings had become involved in this mess.

Kami, things would be a lot easier had Sakura never shown up in his life, that's for sure.

**End of Chapter**

**So, this is one of my favorite chapters so far :) We get a little more up close and personal with not only Mikoto and Fugaku, but Itachi as well. Not only that, but most of everything is revealed and thrown out on the table.**

**(Btw, I'm not bringing up how late the chapter is mainly because I know, and I feel terrible about it ! Dx)**

**Anyway, any and all feedback is much appreciated !**

**-Marzyy-chann~~! :))**


	31. Shisui

**Hey! So, I really had to do my research on this chapter, for it centered around Shisui and his death at the river xD And after everything, I came to one conclusion: I love Shisui. Had I not done my research properly, this probably would not be the same ending. I do believe it came out better though, you all tell me what you think? :D**

**Chapter 31: Shisui**

If Sakura had her dates right, and she hadn't changed things as much as she presumed,

-tonight would be the night.

No, not the Uchiha Massacre... not that just yet, but something else: something very important.

The death of Shisui.

Or, should Sakura recall correctly, the _murder_ of Shisui.

Sakura couldn't quite recall much information of the konoha-nin, besides the fact that he, alongside his cousin Itachi, were highly noted to be two of the best Uchiha of their time, esteemed as remarkable young shinobi who would surely be in the running for future Hokage. That, and he was extremely loyal to the clan, something which she had learned from the elders. Because of this, she could see why Itachi disposed of him in the cheap manner in which he had done so. Shisui, like Sakura, was probably one of the few shinobi who could probably put a stop to Itachi, not that she planned on doing so anyway.

Shisui, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Best friends or not, Shisui was loyal to the clan. He loved their clan so much, he had even accepted the order of spying on Itachi (again, something she had learned from the elders. This was why they had given Itachi orders to dispose of Shisui now, before he blew their cover).

So the question arose: how far was Shisui willing to go? Sakura supposed, she would find out later on that day.

An ANBU member showed up outside of the Uchiha household right before dinner began. Bowing, he notified Sakura that the Hokage wanted to see her immediately to discuss an important matter.

Completely understandable, and a solid reason to bail out on dinner, one of the few times that Fugaku was present there at the dinner table. Sakura quickly dismissed herself, but was quick to notice the awkward glance that Itachi gave her for a split second.

_What is she up to?_

Itachi was no fool. He already knew she and the Hokage were closer than most. Something was up with her, and he knew the Hokage knew, not that Sarutobi would tell him anything anyway.

Nevertheless, he had other issues to worry about at the moment, and he simply did not have time to fret over Sakura. There were larger plans underway, and he had to put his full attention on it.

* * *

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Sakura bowed in respect, now fully dressed in ANBU gear in front of the Hokage.

"No problem, Sakura," And although he did not understand why she had asked him to pretend to assign her a mission, he wasn't about to question it. As he had learned long ago, Sakura was just really complicated, and he wasn't about to try and start understanding her any time soon. "Should I be expecting you to be gone for an extended amount of time?" he merely asked.

"No, I should be here tomorrow." Sakura replied.

The Hokage merely nodded. They said their good-byes, and Sakura promptly disappeared with a puff of smoke, only to reappear at the town center. Now, all she had to do was keep a low profile and maintain under the radar until it was time.

_Easy enough._

After all, she didn't know many people at all, so it wasn't like anybody would be looking for her, other than Itachi, she supposed, but she was sure even he had things to plan, what with Shisui's murder just a few shorts hours away.

She sent a small bird back to the Uchiha Compound with a message stating that she was off on a mission, and would not return until late tomorrow, and then just waited.

* * *

It felt convenient to be notified by his mother that Sakura would be gone for a day... too convenient, if you ask him.

Could she possibly know?

No, how could she? The rendezvous with the Elders was top secret: nobody could get in or out without being detected. It was heavily guarded by top ANBU members, and he was more than positive that none of the elders would spill the beans about killing off the Uchiha Clan. So, if it wasn't them, and it wasn't him, how else would she possibly be notified of it?

No, there just simply was no way that she knew.

Maybe she did indeed just have a mission. Although he found it a bit suspicious, it wasn't at all odd for her to receive a mission... was it?

_No Itachi, you're just being paranoid_

Yes, it had to be... after all, there just was no way...

* * *

It was... odd... to say the least.

Knowing that the end was close... _real close._

That by the end of the day,

There just simply would no longer be a "Shisui Uchiha"

But sacrifices had to be made. For the sake of his clan. For the sake of _Konoha_, and all he had ever loved, he would die to the hands of his best friend, his brother, his only companion.

It had to be done.

* * *

Nighttime had approached them sooner than Sakura had expected. Trailing a distance away from Shisui, she eyed him as closely and conspicuously as she could, even bothering to put up a henge, though that would probably be of no use if any one of the hundreds of Uchiha around her decided to activate their Sharingan.

Her heart had been beating heavily for the past two hours now, afraid that Shisui might somehow know she was there and he would magically appear behind her, kunai in hand, ready to interrogate her and ask her why exactly she was following him. At least, it seemed like something Itachi would do, and she was sure they had more in common than usual, or else nothing would set Shisui apart from any other Uchiha, besides his rare kekkai genkai.

But nothing had happened, and she was rather glad she took stealth lessons from Kakashi way back then.

Sakura wateched as Shisui slowly approach the small river in which he had been, or would be, killed, and he just stood there, awkwardly staring at his reflection, almost as if in _sadness_, it seemed to Sakura.

_'Might he already know...? Maybe Itachi hadn't been at all __conspicuous about his plans...'_

"Itachi"

Sakura was alerted by Shisui's sudden comment, having not sensed Itachi until Shisui had said his name, and he appeared behind Shisui moments later. _'Shisui's good..'_

"Shisui" Itachi acknowledged him with a curt nod, staring at Shisui's figure as he leaned on the railway, not paying any attention to Itachi. There was an eerie silence between the two. Slowly, Itachi leaned on the rail alongside Shisui, their elbows just slightly touching.

"It's time, isn't it?" Shisui merely muttered.

Itachi didn't reply, knowing the question was not entirely meant to be answered.

Shisui reached into his pant pocket, ruffling around a bit before pulling out a neatly folded letter.

_'The suicide letter?' _Sakura thought in wonder. _'So Shisui really did kill himself?' _This was all a bit confusing to Sakura. Wasn't Itachi allegedly the one who killed Shisui...?

They both faced each other, staring at each other intently. Suddenly, both their Sharingan's were on and ablaze with a fiery heat and intensity. Shisui's own transformed into something Sakura knew had to be the Mangekyou, swirling as it activated something she didn't quite know about. She could hear her heavy pulse and her palms began to sweat. What exactly was going on? This was not at all how Tsunade had described the attack on Shisui to be.

She didn't have time to ponder this though. Within the next few seconds, Itachi was on his knees, in what she recognized to be distress, trying his best not to cry out. She almost felt the need to rush to his side and comfort him. She saw droplets of blood, and identified that they were coming from Itachi's eyes, with a little bit of examination.

And then, the unexpected happened. Shisui whipped out a kunai, and warily, Sakura gripped onto her own. But then, he aimed it towards himself, and the next thing she knew, he stabbed his eye socket, successfully removing his eyeball from his being. He placed it in front of Itachi, and, while gripping his bleeding eye, stormed off into the woods in a flurry. Out of instinct, Sakura followed, only hesitating slightly as she saw Itachi so vulnerable, on the floor, crying. But no matter. Time was of the essense, and she simply could not look after Itachi. He was a big boy, he could take care of himself for the time being.

* * *

Shisui was fast.

She could hardly sense his presence, and it was increasingly hard to keep vision on him in the dead of night. It didn't help that they all wore black all the damn time either. Mid-jump, Sakura had to pull out a kunai and deflect some that had been aimed right at her. She landed in a fighting stance on the floor, prepared for any sort of ambush.

"I know you... You're the Haruno that is under Itachi's care." Sakura turned to see Shisui slightly hiding behind a tree, one hand still gripping his bleeding eye socket. Sakura decided on staying quiet. "What is your purpose here?"

"I can ask you the same thing." Sakura almost snorted out.

"You saw what happened back then, didn't you?" Sakura's silence said more than it needed to. "Well then I am afraid... you too, must die." He appeared behind her, aiming a kick to her body, but she quickly deflected and jumped back.

"Too?" she commented dryly. Did that mean that whatever he did to Itachi would kill him? Alarm bells rang in her head.

Shisui chuckled darkly, but didn't elaborate, instead, charging in once more.

He was skilled, Sakura had to admit, easily at par with Itachi, perhaps even stronger. He had long stopped gripping his eye, instead letting the blood flow freely from it, which made Sakura shiver whenever she stared at it too long.

"I had a feeling that someone had been following me earlier today. It was you, wasn't it?" It sounded more like a statement rather than a question.

"So what if it was?" Sakura evaded another attack, not at all inclined on actually fighting Shisui while he was injured, especially because she wanted him alive in order to ask him questions, not that she really thought she would get too far interrogating a skilled Uchiha. They were always so stubborn...

"You knew what would happen today, then. Who told you? It couldn't have been Itachi, or else there would have been no reason to hide from him as well, and lie that you had a mission to do." Yes, Itachi had told him. Itachi tells him everything, afterall.

"A little birdie" Sakura remarked. Shisui appeared behind her once more, catching her off guard. He placed a good kick on her rib, and she felt a distinct crack as she was left skidding back until she hit a nearby tree with a small thud.

"You lie. Tell me who told you."

Sakura didn't reply, instead activating her chakra as she quickly mended the fractured rib. She charged once more, figuring that Shisui wouldn't give up willingly.

They fought, kunai against kunai, fist against fist. His moves, although slightly sluggish, were remarkable, even with his uncoordinated vision. He would have been a worthy opponent. In a moment of weakness, Sakura caught him off guard and prepared her fist for a deadly blow. She saw his hand twitch slightly, as if he just _knew _what was to come (surely Itachi had talked to him about her skills before), but he made no effort to stop her, or move out of the way.

Closer and closer she came, and the closer she got, she realized that this man did not intend on moving.

_He wanted to die... but why?_

She blocked off her chakra at the last second, the blow only being hard enough to send him flying back. "What did you do to Itachi?" she remarked dangerously.

"Nothing" Shisui merely commented, remaining motionless on the ground.

"Why didn't you move out of the way of my attack?"

"None if your business, Haruno" he remarked.

"_It is_" she mumbled under her breath, which Shisui caught, but he did not question it. She narrowed her eyes. What was she doing here? Why hadn't Shisui died? He should have, so why hadn't he...?

In her moment of weakness, as she pondered this, Shisui took this to his advantage to trip her and jumped away from her. He began making a long and complicated jutsu, going from hand sign to hand sign.

Sakura, rubbing her head slightly, looked at him warily. _'Wait... I know that pattern! That's...!' _

Suicide Jutsu.

_'Tree-san, dont let him finish the jutsu!'_

The wind around her seemed to pick up slightly, and the earth trembled around them. Seconds later, a tree erupted from the ground behind Shisui, and its branches entangled itself around Shisui and separated his hands and his fingers just in time, in order to prevent him from completing the hand signs.

Sakura heard Shisui curse from under his breathe as Sakura approached him.

"Suicide Jutsu?" Sakura questioned. "You obviously either have or know something that you don't want other people to know." Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Spill"

Shisui remained quiet, fixating his eyes on the ground.

_'Why... why would he kill himself? What did he do to Ita-" _It hit her like a ton of bricks moments later.

"You were giving Itachi the Mangekyou by putting him under a genjutsu..." Shisui's right eye twitched slightly, and Sakura just knew that she was right. Yes, it would certainly make sense, if Shisui made the jutsu so real, that it made Itachi think that he was actually killing Shisui, even if he weren't, thus causing his over-whelming sadness and grief to awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan. "Why...? Why would you purposely give him the Mangekyou, knowing that for him to obtain it you had to... you had to-"

"Die? That's the least of my concerns, Haruno." Shisui spat viciously.

Sakura stood there quietly. "You're a liar, Shisui." Sakura stated bluntly. "You wouldn't have been running if you planned on dying..." She saw Shisui's eyes water slightly, as he looked away from Sakura's gaze, too ashamed that she had figured him out so easily.

_'He was afraid to die... He knew he would die today... He had planned it... Yet...'_

"You just wanted to live a little longer, didn't you?" Sakura questioned, her eyes softening. He was afraid... As brave as he was, even he was afraid of death. Then again, who wasn't? Even if he was a powerful, talented Uchiha... even he was allowed to fear something...

Shisui's eyes narrowed slightly, his sadness over-whelming even him.

"My eyes... wanted by all who know of its true power..." Shisui began slowly. "The only way to avoid war is to destroy them, and me along with them." Shisui said distantly.

"But your eye... you gave it to Itachi." Sakura stated softly, her statement coming out as a mere whisper.

"Where I know they shall be in safe hands, and will only be used for the good of the nation." Shisui responded quickly, without hesitation, as if he thought these some of the true-est words ever spoken.

Sakura stood there quietly, watching as Shisui lay there, defeated. Something within her stirred. _'Shisui is loyal. He was not killed by Itachi, but rather, killed himself. But for what? To prevent war? How?' _All these thoughts ran through her head, but the undying need to help him still lingered.

Along pause ensued, as Sakura eyed Shisui critically, and Shisui stared blankly at some point past her shoulder, not quite ready to look her in those blatantly critical and confused pools of green, but still too wary to keep his eyes off of her, just in case she tried something.

"Would you think me crazy if I said..." Sakura avoided saying it for along time, mainly debating on whether or not she should tell Shisui. Now seemed like a perfect opportunity to gain some insight on the Uchiha Massacre, if she could only just gain his trust and have him tell her everything. Yet, she hesitated, closing her mouth moments later. How could she possibly expect him to believe her, when all she was do is successfully made him think her crazy?

Shisui looked up at her slowly, curiously. "If you said what? Try me, Haruno. It's not like I have much of a choice either, is it?"

She paused for a few seconds, sighing, before she parted her lips and began speaking with a serious-ness in her tone. "When I was twelve, I got put in my first Genin Team..." And so there he sat, and there she stood, telling him her story, from the beginning. From her days as a Genin, to the Third Hokage's Death, to the Kyuubi, to Sasuke's betrayal, to the formation of the Akatsuki, to the retrieval of the Bijuu, and to the hundreds and thousands of casualties along the way.

He took the news better than expected. "I've heard crazier theories."

And although not directly stated, it was implied that Shisui Uchiha would not die today. Or any day soon.

* * *

As Sakura discovered from Shisui, Itachi honestly believed that he had killed Shisui. He needed to feel like the pain and loss were actually his doing if he wanted to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, and so Shisui did him the favor of enacting the murder for him. Even if not emotionally, physically, his best friend, no, his brother, was not the cause of his ultimate demise, not that Itachi would ever know about it. The only reason that Shisui was still alive was due to the fact of the slight hesitation in his being, and the small fear that he had experienced at the last second. And mainly Sakura, if he were being honest. If you ask him, he just wasn't as prepared as he made himself out to be from the very beginning. He had a younger brother looking up to him, and he could not let Itachi down, he out of the two of them having the more difficult and daunting task, so he had to put on the brave face. His fake little brother, his sweet, dear Itachi, had to have faith in him, for if he could not trust in Shisui to complete his mission, who else was he to trust in this cruel, unyielding world?

Shisui was long gone by the time word of his "suicide" was out in the open. In a place he didn't quite know where, on the outskirts of a small fishing village he didn't quite know about. All he knew was that he was missing an eye, and he was being assisted by someone he had considered a complete stranger until days prior.

Why was she doing this? He couldn't honestly say that he believed all that Sakura had said. Yes, dauntingly, a lot of the information she had confided with him were extremely accurate: down to the day, and even the time. She told him things that should only be able to be described with full detail had there been a strict mission report on it, or at least some sort of passage on a textbook or _something._ Yes, he had said he had heard crazier theories -but that had been because he genuinely had, from mentally insane patients who deemed themselves rulers of worlds and creators of nations -nothing out of the usual for a demented person. He didn't believe Sakura to be crazy though, not by the serious and honest look in her eyes, and she seemed determined to not let him die, for reasons still unknown to him, so he had no reason than to allow her to bend him to her will for the time being.

She had been with him for a total of 2 days, in which she had properly provided for his injuries, and had used her medical expertise to determine whether his vacant eye socket was able to maintain an eye not entirely his own. The results came out positive, but slim, with many altercations. She had gotten an eye for him, one not unlike his other matching eye, both of which a dark, black-ish gray-ish color, and both unable to wield the Sharingan (since Danzo had so kindly done him the favor of removing his lineage from him). Sakura had done him the favor of cutting his hair, giving him an entirely different hair-cut and image, as well as buying him different clothing, most of them being not un-like any ordinary civilian clothing.

Now, he was just like any other shinobi or person. Not special, not powerful, not strong. Just a measly little shinobi with no special talent.

And just like that, Shisui Uchiha had ceased to exist. So yes, in a sense, Shisui had died. No one would be able to find him. There was no body to retrieve because technically, he was still alive. But, as Sakura had ordered him to do, he was to lay low and live a humble life among the villagers. No chakra, no jutsus, no ninja capabilities. If any other ninja were to suddenly appear or take note of him, he was to leave immediately, send word to Sakura, and let her take care of the rest.

Other than that, he didn't see her much. She would check up on him once a month, sometimes leaving just as quickly as she came, other times hanging around for a day or two before vanishing without saying a word. She was a mysterious person, that girl, but he didn't question it. He owed her his life, even though he was still highly suspicious of what it was that she wanted. Nonetheless, he could not do anything. He had to remain "dead", if you will, not only for his sake, but the sake of his nation.

* * *

Itachi could feel the overwhelming power pulse through him with every beat his heart took, palpitating so stronlyg that it almost hurt him, his eyes stinging everytime he blinked. He could feel the soft humming of the power resonating within him, and he could feel the difference in his overall composure and abilities, his senses and instincts.

The Mangekyou... something that should never be taken lightly, or be abused without great urgency.

If you ask him, it simply was not worth it. He felt the pang in his heart as he thought of Shisui. Smart, brave, selfless, kind Shisui.

But no, he could not linger on his sadness. Shisui had sacrificed himself in order to save Konoha, and prevent the Uchiha from losing the nobility and respect of their name -that is, above all else, what Shisui cared for most, and what Itachi had to comply to. He could not let Shisui's sacrifice be in vain.

And even though he told himself this countless of times, the pain was still there, and his eyes still stung and occasionally bled, which only served as a remembrance of what he had done.

He had remained in his room for the remainder of the week, to say the least, only going out when specifically demanded to, or when essential for him to do so. But other than that, nobody asked anything of him, not even Sasuke, who made sure to steer clear of Itachi for the time being. He had, after all, just lost his cousin, his best friend, his companion.

When Sakura had arrived, he hadn't even bothered to greet her, or look at her suspiciously for that matter. His brain didn't even register that she had come a day later than she had promised to arrive, a thought which would have normally sent him up the wall with worry and suspicion. How could he muster up the strengths to do so? He was weak and fragile in his current state, and would never be able to face Sakura. He had lost one of his important people, and even though against the belief of allowing himself to act human, it was not something he could control. It was his mourning stage, he knew, and he also knew that he would never be able to completely get over this.

* * *

When Sakura had arrived, she had found Mikoto in the kitchen table, slowly sobbing her eyes out, her usual attire replaced by a long-sleeved black traditional dress, and a small black hat. Her hands were holding a tissue, as she wiped her eyes continuously.

And so, Sakura had to sit there and act confused and mortified as she saw Mikoto and she described to her, the events of the previous day, and how they had found Shisui's suicide note.

"And Shisui's body? It hasn't been found yet?" Sakura questioned.

Mikoto shook her head. "Officials are worried news of his death spread quickly and other villages went in search of his body, in hopes of retrieving his eyes." Yes, even with the Uchiha blood-line still aplenty, their eyes were somewhat of a rare find, especially because most Uchihas' were smart enough to stay alive and not let their eyes be taken from them.

And so Sakura continued to console Mikoto, having just lost her precious nephew, even if it was all just an act.

After all, Shisui was in fact, still alive and kickin' it.

Not that anyone would find out any time soon anyway.

* * *

Sakura knocked twice.

"Itachi, dinner's ready."

No reply.

Sakura frowned, returning to the kitchen. "It's no use, Itachi won't even respond."

Mikoto sighed. "Just give him some time, I'm sure he'll come around. He has to come out eventually."

And this was true, Sakura decided, so she let the topic rest. But as time ticked by and still no Itachi, she became worried. Had Mikoto told her correctly, Itachi hadn't eaten the day before either.

"Itachi, please eat, this isn't healthy for you..." She had returned back to his door, this time with a tray of food in her hand. But still, he did not reply, or give her even the slightest hint that he had heard her. She left with a defeated sigh. She had tried everything, and there simply wasn't anything left for her to do. If Itachi didn't want to come out, she could not force him to, and if Itachi didn't want to eat, she could not force this upon him either. She left the tray of food on the floor in front of his door, and quickly left, muttering a quick "it's outside, for whenever you feel like eating. Please, Itachi..."

Once Itachi deemed the hall empty, he slowly slid the door to his room open, and took the tray silently, sliding the door shut behind him.

From the corner, hiding behind the turn in the hallway, Sakura merely gave a small smile. At least, even now, her voice could get to him.

She returned an hour later, where she found the tray, empty with all its contents. She returned it to the kitchen and washed his plates, returning at once with a cup of tea, which she yet again, left at his door and then slowly left, making sure he had heard her.

* * *

It wasn't healthy for him, Itachi knew this all too well. Yet, he couldn't find it within himself to _want _to eat. What gave him the right to nourish his body when his dear Shisui could no longer do the same? When he could no longer breath the fresh air the night provided, or see the world and all its wonders?

But hearing Sakura voice... hearing her soft, worried voice tell him he had to eat... _begging him _to eat...

Well, he couldn't bring himself to hate Sakura, or dislike her for that matter, and he certainly couldn't bring himself to not listen to her, especially when all she was doing was trying to look out for him. So slowly, hesitantly, giving her time to walk away, he slid open his door and took the tray and all its contents, eating slowly.

And this process he repeated when Sakura had placed a tray containing a teacup and a tea kettle.

When Sakura came to pick it up though, he slid the door open, seeing Sakura's shocked face expression, having not expected to see him. She didn't say anything to him, but merely waited patiently, staring up at him with curious, doey green eyes.

After all, if Itachi had nothing to say to her, then he simply would not have waited for her to appear in order to give her the tray and its empty contents. But Itachi didn't speak. Instead, he moved aside, as if implying for Sakura to enter his room.

And so enter, she did, as she crept into his dark room and found his bed, slowly sitting on it and waiting for him to do the same, or for him to tell her what he wanted.

He was a child.

A sweet, lost, innocent, wounded child, who had just lost his best friend.

That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

And so, it didn't quite shock Sakura when he sat down beside her, and after several moments of silence, he wrapped his arms around her and brought her small frame closer to his, pressing her against his chest. Why should she have expected anything less? She didn't hear him weep or whimper, or anything of the sort, but she sure felt the small tears slide down his face, as they connected with her shoulder.

And so, like any other caring woman would do, she wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him as best she could, and let him weep.

Weep for his cousin, weep for himself, weep for his miserable, unfortunate life.

Sakura held back the tears that threatened to spill as she thought of him.

Itachi didn't deserve this.

_Any of this._

* * *

After Shisui's death, she began to see things with great clarity. No longer was she clouded by questions and mysteries, now that Shisui had cleared everything up for her.

The Clan.

That was her real enemy.

_Fugaku,_ in other words. She no longer felt the burden of having to kill Itachi. No, now she simply felt the burden of relieving him from his chains and shackles. But how could she do that? It wasn't just Fugaku... it was the entire clan. And who was there that opposed the revolt? None other than Itachi, she was sure, and maybe even Mikoto, but even Mikoto had tried to stop Fugaku, and had failed miserably.

And with this new clarity, came the conclusion that her and Itachi... that _they _simply could not, would not, be. The situation was too extreme, too tense, to even muster the idea of _feelings _being added to the equation. It would just make things all the more difficult, something that neither of them could afford at this point.

It hurt. So, so much.

Why did she always get stuck with the love that simply could not happen?

* * *

With the massacre just weeks away, Sakura began planning. What would she do? Where would she go? Who would she confront? Who would she kill? Who would she save? It became clear to her that soon enough, the truth would be revealed, and that Itachi would understand everything. Not just about the massacre, but of her aswell. Of her... being from the future...

Of her being _eighteen_... being 5 years older than him, currently (even if in reality, he was 7 years older than her, although that didn't make anything better at all).

And still, she managed to gain a soft spot for him, perhaps because he reminded her so much of Sasuke, or perhaps because she felt the need to protect this lost, innocent child.

How would he react? Would he still feel the same way? Or would he feel betrayed -cut his ties, pretend he hadn't even known of her from the very beginning? It might just make him feel betrayed enough to kill her, if he really wanted to.

These were all things that bugged her, that she wanted to know, _needed _to know, but couldn't. She wanted nothing more than to lay on her bed and think these things through, but she knew doing that would only hurt her more. She needed to get her mind off of it. Keep her busy, perhaps focusing on her mission would be a good idea, but even doing that wasn't helping.

But for the mean time, maybe focusing on somebody other than Itachi might help her out, with both of her issues...

"Mikoto, are you going grocery shopping again?"

"What? Oh, yes Sakura, why?" Sakura had noticed that Mikoto had been in a haze ever since she had confronted Fugaku. She had also noticed that since the confrontation, Fugaku was around even less, and when he was, he would hardly spare Mikoto a glance or give her the time of day to talk to him, even just a simple "How was your day?". And Sakura knew from past experiences, that being ignored by the person you loved so dearly _hurt._ It hurt _so bad._ It would explain why Mikoto was, quite frankly, solemn, and why she had kept to herself these past few days.

"Oh, there were a few things I needed to get, but I figured I would just wait for you, so that we could go together."

"Oh, okay, I'll be done in a few minutes Sakura."

And so the few minutes passed, and no sooner, they were out the door and on their way to the marketplace.

"You know, Mikoto, I couldn't help but notice that you've been rather down lately." The sudden comment made by Sakura shocked Mikoto, and she went a little pink in embrassment, having not noticed that she had physically been gloomy.

"Oh, don't worry about it dear, it's nothing."

"Mikoto, just as you can tell when I am lying, I can tell when you are lying." Sakura frowned slightly. Mikoto said nothing, merely looking away uncomfortably, trying to avoid the subject. "But no matter," Sakura began. "You're a strong woman Mikoto. I admire you greatly, for always speaking your mind, and never allowing somebody to order you around. Whatever has gotten you so down... well, you should just grab it by the throat and face it head on." And Sakura left Mikoto with such an angelic, sweet smile. "Look at that dress! It's so cute!" She left Mikoto staring after her as she ran into a store, a smirk gracing her expression.

Mikoto felt a pang in her heart.

_Never allow somebody to order you around..._

And yet, here she was, falling to her hands and knees at Fugaku's authority. Hadn't it been just a few years back when not even Fugaku could calm her spirits if she set her eyes on something? What had happened?

_'The stupid Clan Heads, thats what.'_ The mere thought enraged Mikoto. No thanks to their added pressure, Fugaku felt the need to be perfect, to be powerful, to be _supreme._ If the stupid heads hadn't stuffed his head with stupid idealogies, their clan would still be fine... they'd be happy...

Since when had she started watching life as it flew past her? Not long ago, she used to grab it by the collar and bend it to her will...

And just like that, Mikoto decided that maybe, just maybe, it was time for a change.

* * *

"Uhmm... Mikoto, are you sure about this?"

"Don't fuzz Sakura. It's _my _hair, not yours."

"But I mean... it's so _long..._ and pretty!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Shush Sakura"

And thirty minutes later, Mikoto re-entered her household, her hair now shoulder-length.

Needless to say, she brought on a lot of attention in the household.

Especially her husband, who had known her to love long hair, believing it was the epitome of feminine beauty.

"Okaa-san?" Sasuke questioned as he saw his mother appear.

"Yes, Sasuke-chan?" she hardly paid any attention to his curious stare as she went straight to the kitchen and set the groceries down.

"Why'd you cut your hair?" he childishly ran alongside her, chasing his mother down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"I decided long hair was a burden. It ties you down. I prefer this short hair. It's a lot more freeing." She gave him a small but bright smile. Sasuke asked no more questions, but simply noted how Mikoto's strides were quicker; more confident, more graceful. He grinned slightly, before deciding to thank Sakura and ran off looking for her. He was sure it was her. The one who got his Okaa-san's smile back for him.

* * *

"Mikoto, when will dinner be ready?"

It was already nearing 6:00, and still, Fugaku found his wife lounging by their bedroom, reading a magazine and indulging herself in some chocolate pudding, one of her favorite guilty pleasures that she usually never let herself indulge in. He found it rather strange, seeing as he couldn't quite recall the last time he had seen his wife relaxing on her bed anytime before 10:00. She was usually so busy around the house, cooking, cleaning, taking care of Sasuke, and all this other nonsense, that she hardly ever had time to do so.

Mikoto sighed, getting up from the bed. "Me and Sakura-chan are going down to the spa for some quick relaxation for the rest of the night. We might even stay at their resort until tomorrow. You figure out what you're doing tonight. I leave Sasuke-chan in your care." She made to walk past him and out the door, but Fugaku quickly stopped her by grabbing onto her wrist, none too gently either.

"Mikoto, what is this?" Fugaku's eyes narrowed at her, as if asking what it was she was doing. Mikoto _never _disobeyed him or went against him. And now, she was... telling him to make _dinner? Him_? The noblest Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, the soon to be Kage of the Village Hidden in the Leaf? What was she, mad?

"_This,_" she emphasized, using her other hand to grip his wrist just as harshly, if not harder, adding enough pressure for him to know that if he didn't let go this instance, there would be trouble (and release her he did), "is me, going to a spa. Now _move_ Fugaku. You let me know perfectly clear that as of now, I am no longer your wife. _You _have no control of me, and you most _certainly _are not allowed to touch me that way, or in any way, for that matter. Now go figure out what you're going to feed Sasuke tonight. You're his father too and its time you acted like it." Mikoto used the stern-est voice she could, her eyes aglow with fiar and ferocity, as if _daring _him to go against her. She brought fear into many guys alike when they tried hitting on her back in her teenage years, and she was definitely not afraid to do it now.

Fugaku didn't think he'd ever been that shocked before, ever in his lifetime.

_Ever._

He said nothing else as he watched her retreating figure walk out the door, and down the hallway.

* * *

"Oh this feels exquisite Sakura-chan! This was such a great idea!" Mikoto felt like she was in heaven, setting herself down onto the steamy water.

"I know! I haven't been here in ages!" she stressed, letting herself succumb to the bliss alongside Mikoto. This was true, mainly because, with Naruto and Jiraiya hanging around Konoha, it was never safe to try and approach one of those things. She swore, Naruto and Jiraiya together was one hell of a duo, even if they used their perfect chemistry for the bad of the village... or the bad of the female population, specifically.

"And they massage you afterwards too? How'd you even know if this place Sakura?" Yes. They had gotten the Deluxe Pack, which included their own, secluded hot spring, hour long massages after their baths, a 4-star dinner at the resort, and of the the best rooms money could buy in Konoha. Did she mention that the men massaging them had the hands of God and the body of a man you'd love to just tie up, take home, and hide in your closet for all your sick, twisted, dirty desires and wishes? Yeah. They were that good looking, and hey, Mikoto may be nearing her 40s, but she still had it.

Definitely still had it.

"My friend told me about it. Let's just say he was around the area and heard how good the services are. He recommended it to me, since he knew I had a thing for hot springs." It was actually Naruto, who had been peeping, and Sakura had to bail him out of trouble after he got caught. After seeing how luxurious it was, she decided to let herself spend the night there (a night which Naruto had paid for entirely, needless to say). Sakura had made sure she had ordered every expensive thing on the menu. Because she was just that nice.

"Well, thank Kami for you're friend." Mikoto sighed in bliss.

They settled into a comfortable silence for several minutes, before Sakura decided to speak up. "I'm glad that you're feeling better Mikoto." Her sudden statement made Mikoto surprised. "I don't like seeing you upset. And neither does Sasuke-chan. This change is refreshing." Sakura sighed once more, before getting up. "Well, I'm headed for that massage Mikoto; i'll see you inside." and she vanished a few seconds later.

_'Well Sakura-chan... it's all thanks to you...'_

How long had it been? Since she had felt herself truly liberated; free, happy, with no worries or cares whatsoever? It had been much too long, that was for sure.

And she decided just then that Sakura truly was a mervelous girl, worth keeping around. She could see why Itachi was so smitten with her, even if he failed to show it, or even recognize it, for that matter.

It amazed her, just how much Sakura had changed with the little time she had stayed with them. It seemed like just yesterday that Sakura had first appeared on her doorstep, her bright, triumphant smile in her face. Yet, slowly but surely, she wiggled herself into the lives of others: Itachi, Sasuke, Hokage-sama, and even herself. It truly was such a shame that Fugaku had always been too busy to keep an eye on Sakura. He could have learned a thing or two from her, as Itachi had.

She wondered... what was to become of Sakura? What if the Clan did succeed in taking over the village? Would she be submissive and side with the Uchiha Clan? It was of no secret that Fugaku admired her. Her skill was impressive, even up to par with Itachi's. Not to mention she had no home, no family... hell, the Uchiha Clan _was _her family. Not to mention the idea of mixing the two immensely powerful bloodlines together...

A small, ironically tragic chuckle escaped Mikoto's lips. Well, at least she'd get one thing she wanted: Sakura in her family, as her daughter-in-law. There was no way Fugaku would pass up the chance on breeding the two blood-lines, obviously using Itachi, since he was already so close in age with her, and that they were already close -even Fugaku knew as much.

Yet... what if she opposed Fugaku? What if she sided with the Hokage and tried protecting him, perhaps trying to reclaim the village for its rightful ruler? There was also no doubt in Mikoto's mind that Fugaku would silence all that oppose him... even if one of them was a rare Haruno.

Nevertheless... Mikoto would do everything in her power to at least save Sakura. It was the least she could do, after Sakura had saved her family from crumbling.

**End of Chapter**

**A bit of ItaxSaku fluff :3 I thought it was really cute XD**

**Sorry for the late update, as always, but for now, that's just how it's going to be. School sucks, y'know? xO**

**Currently working on Somewhere We Belong, it's over half-way done. Afterwards, I'll be starting on New Sakura and from there we'll see where I got... perhaps gonna be re-writing some of the earlier chapters once more.**

**Any and all feedback is much appreciated !**

**-Marzyy-chan~~! :))**


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